Son of the Morning
by Oldwickedsongs
Summary: Completed Man, remember until an hour before Satan fell, God thought him lovely in heaven. Ever wonder what happened to make Snape the way he is? Ever wonder if he was something more...   RR
1. Seraphim

Author's Note: I've been trying to write this story for a long time. Hopefully this will work and explain a few of the nuances of Snape's wonderfully deep character (at least according to me.) I'm really hoping my readers will enjoy how I do describe Snape's descent or ascent to the height of power and to the depts of remorse.

_"Man, remember, _

_until an hour before the Devil fell_

_God thought him beautiful in Heaven."_

_--- _The Crucible, Act Two

**Morning Star**

By Lady Erised

Since Akel Dama had been built centuries ago, it had housed almost as many secrets as it did humans. The legendary home of the powerful and wealthy Snape family, Akel Dama had stood as a tangible symbol of the Snape prestige. But so many secrets and dark truths seemed to cast a pallor over the home. Entering the grounds, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. The natural light seemed swallowed up by some invisible force and a dull, smoky gray light lighted the grounds instead. A short walk brought visitors to the main gates that lead into the heart of the entire estate, twin iron wrought gates painted flat black that loom over you. 

The gates have the family's crest emblazed unto them; a wolf posed to devour a serpent. The wolf's hind leg is injured from a snakebite. Written in Latin over the symbol, is a sinister promise: "No one assails me with impunity." 

Akel Dama consists of the manor, the carriage house, servant quarters, a solarium, greenhouses, stables, kennels and a score of other luxuries afforded to such a rich family. Large mazelike gardens that formed a hedge around three fourths of the perimeter and feed into the large, ornate gates protect the heart of the manor. 

As always, the bulk of the house was left unoccupied with only the left wing cornered off to allow the family privacy. The top floor consisted of the libraries and a master bedroom. In the Gray Library, a large room filled to the roof with ancient books of curses and counter charms. The room was supported by large columns, carved with intricate glyphs proclaiming even greater secrets if one understood the language. The right corner column pivoted to reveal a narrow, dangerous spiral staircase. 

The boy, not yet eleven, peered up the stairs straining to see pass the metal worked stairs. He bit his lip and began to climb the stairs, up to the hidden annex and the secret it held. He pushed away a lock of his black hair pulling a bit of spider web away. 

"Oh no young Master!" 

The boy closed his eyes and sighed. "Babbitt, I can explain." 

"No Master, no explain!" Babbitt rebuked, "You can't go up there, you know that." 

The little boy smiled sheepishly. He mumbled a response. Babbitt opened her mouth like a fish and then closed it, looking fierce. "Master tried to go up there didn't you?"

"You won't tell Grandmother will you?" The boy looked downright scared. He smiled gently and ran to the house elf. He towered over Babbitt but that didn't seem to matter, he squatted down and he threw his arms around her. He kissed her cheek and whispered. "Please Madame Babbitt?"

She blushed. "Oh, Master, hurry up: out of here, into Jesse's room. Help me clean." 

The boy exploded into a grin. He knew he had won but he kept his head bowed, to really show his penance. Babbitt smiled reluctantly as she shooed him into a large ornate bedroom of silver and blue. She handed him a rag to wipe away smudges on the silverware. 

The boy walked over to the bed, to the picture over the bed. A large portrait of a young man stared down at him, unmoving. It was a Muggle painting of a young man with dark brown hair, bright eyes and something that could be described as a smile. The boy was richly dressed, in a shirt, vest and a hand in his trouser pocket. A black robe, cut more like a trench coat, was pulled back behind his arms. A Gryffindor crest was sew on the cloak's front. 

The boy in the picture had been named Joachim Esteban Severus Snape but everyone called him Jesse for short. He was tall, handsome and tanned by the sun, with wide shoulders and strong arms. He was the smartest, bravest, gentlest son, parents could ask for. 

He had been Head Boy, Prefect, and Quidditch Beater at school. He had been sought after, not just accepted, into Hecate Academy for Aurors. He had been engaged to the daughter of the Minister of Care for Magical Creatures, a belle named Jasmine. 

And Jesse had the perfect heir to the proud Snape family. 

Then Joachim had been assassinated unceremoniously out of revenge. Suddenly the proud Snape family was heirless. Kaiser James Snape and his wife Sabine Rinaldi were already in their late forties when Joachim had been killed. It was expected for them to leave an heir behind and thus this little boy was born, as a afterthought, and viewed more as reluctant necessity then a child. 

His name was Severus Alexander Rinaldi Snape, named for the son he had to replace. He had always taken to heart the importance of his duty to his older brother. He had always known he had to replace the golden boy but there were sometimes, like now, he wondered how on earth he was suppose to do that. Unlike Jesse, Severus was not a golden boy: he was quiet, reserved and timid. He lacked the build of his older brother in lieu of the muscles was a slender, elegant frame and artistic mind. 

But that didn't alienate him from his purpose. He was replacing a dead boy. 

"Joachim!" The voice traveled down the hallway. The old, angry female voice of Mara Snape, the matriarch of the family. "Joachim!" 

"No, Babbitt. Not today…please" He looked at Babbitt, pleadingly. "Please…Babbitt." 

"Sorry, milord." Babbitt whispered. "Come down to the kitchen, Alexander." 

He walked down the stairs, following the little House Elf down. He liked being called Alexander, especially by Babbitt. She never treated him like he anything but the little charge that liked to get into to trouble. For some reason Babbitt had always insisted on calling him Alexander, reminding him always that one part of him was strictly his. If anything, any part of him was truly his. The only part of his identity that was his was that one name: Alexander. 

Babbitt had handed him the dinner tray and shooed him away while she prepared dinner for the rest. Carrying the tray back up the stairs and down the corridors, he set his jaw and pushed open the door. The large bedroom was one of the master bedrooms and was beautifully decorated, in pale whites, blues, and reds. Mara looked sour and frail against the huge bed she was bound too due to age and sickness. 

An old, proud Irish woman, Mara had never been considered beautiful. Instead, she had that familiar round face and hard hands that were accustomed to work; exactly the kind of woman gentle Julius Ethan Snape had needed. She had bore three children, strapping children of a famous family. She had done this because it was her duty to her marriage and she had raised her children to be ever mindful of the history that the Snape name entailed. 

Now she was nearly a century and a half old and the hard days were finally taking their toll. She seldom left her bed or did anything pass taking her meals and ordering around imaginary subordinates as she relived her glory days. Severus didn't know how long she had been calling Joachim but he never corrected her. One never corrected Mara. 

"You'll food is here, Grandmother." He whispered. 

Mara stirred just slightly. She opened her eyes and peered at him, incredulously. Severus flinched at the sight of her cataract eyes. She croaked. "Joachim?" 

"Yes, Grandmother. I brought you your food." He walked over to her and placed the tray on her lap. 

She clapped her hand over his cheek. "Call you father to me, I need to speak with him. Your mother too. She's probably in the parlor, strumming on the piano." Mara lifted her head and smiled, hearing silent music. 

"Mother had another of headaches, Grandmother. She retired early." He whispered. "And Father was called away, on business." 

"Oh," Mara said softly. "Very well." She looked sullen for a moment. Then after a second she looked up. "Who are you?" She demanded angrily. 

"I'm Severus, your grandson." 

Mara's eyes narrowed. "Get out of here!" 

He didn't need to be told twice. He ran to the door and down the halls, stairs and corners back to the kitchen. He didn't like those daily treks to deliver food to his Grandmother but for some reason Babbitt had always insisted on it. When he walked into the main dining room, Celeste was already sitting at the table. 

Celeste was the youngest of Mara's children. She was pushing forty and had never married, instead focusing her attention to her work. She was a Potions Mistress for the Ministry of Magic and very good at what she did. Firm, hard but pretty; Celeste was white haired and blue eyed and as cold as ice. When he entered the room, she sneered disgusted. "You aren't dressed for dinner." 

"Sorry Aunt Celeste, but I was helping Babbitt clean the silverware." 

The next sound in the room was the clattering of silver on the hardwood floor. Celeste had slapped Babbitt, causing the little Elf to sprawl on the floor. Severus moved to help her but the House Elf looked at him fiercely, shaking her head. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to remain still. 

"Never," Celeste hissed in her darkest voice. "Never make my nephew do housework again, do you understand? My nephew, your lord, will not be so debased." 

"Yes…yes Mistress." 

"Sit down Severus." 

Severus obeyed, slipping in the plush chair next to her. Another House Elf, one of nine employed by the Snape family, set down bowls of soup. Severus had to fight to keep his eyes on his broth instead of on Babbitt who was cleaning up the first serving of soup. Celeste's dark voice interrupted his daydreaming. 

"Well?" She hissed. "What would happen if I lessen the dosage of asphodel to the Draft of the Living Death?" 

Severus thought about it. "The potion would become one of the four most deadly poisons in the world." 

"And why is that?" 

"Because asphodel has the same chemical makeup as Monkshood, also known as Wolfsbane." He took a drink of his soup. "The poison is known as Aconite." 

Celeste looked at him in the same distaste she always did. "Very good." 

Dinner continued in the same way, the questions becoming harder and more detailed. Severus answered them all correctly and in a polite, soft voice. He kept stealing glances to the side door, longing for escape. It finally came, an hour and a half later- at ten o clock when Celeste retired back to her haven. 

Night had already fallen when Severus finished helping clearing the table and cleaning the plates. As always, he waited in the kitchen chatting with the House Elves till midnight when Renny emerged with a wineskin and cup. 

"Please Renny. Let me take it." He pleaded. 

Renny, a short, squat Elf looked over to Babbitt nervously. "But they said never let him up there…" 

Babbitt glanced at him. "But he already goes up there…" she sighed heavily. "But hurry." 

Severus smiled gratefully and kissed Babbitt. He took the wineskin and cup from Renny carefully before sneaking out into the hallway, up the stairs, and into the Gray Library. He pushed away the column and crept up the wrought-iron stairs. 

The stairs led to an garret annex. There was a canopy bed in the corner, along with selves of books, a desk littered with more books and parchment, a globe and a chair. There were two large glass doors opened to let in the night. The dark, thick velvet curtains that covered the doors in the daytime were pushed aside. 

And staring out, through the open doors into the night, was his uncle Reiner Snape. Severus' fondest memories were of this man. Reiner was a good idea of what Severus would like when he was older. The man was tall, slender and strikingly handsome. A narrow, delicate bone structure, pale skin and dark raven hair made him look imposing. He waited for a moment, like he always did, before speaking in his deep baritone voice. "I didn't expect for you to visit tonight, little Prince." He remarked coolly. He turned to Severus and smiled a thin-lipped smile. "You should be getting your sleep. You go to Hogwarts tomorrow." 

Like always, Severus felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw his uncle's face. It was narrow, with special attention to his high cheekbones and deadly pale. Thin varicose blue veins could be seen through his pallor. His eyes had naturally been dark brown but were now a shade of pale, almost white, with hint of blue. His lips were dark crimson and thin, when he smiled his lips peeled back to reveal brilliant white teeth, two slightly pointed and larger then the rest hidden near the corners of his mouth. 

"That's why I wanted to come." Severus explained. He bit his lip. He walked over to the desk, mindful to keep his eye on his uncle. He placed the wineskin and cup on the table and then sat down in the chair. "I'm scared." 

"Ah," Reiner whispered. He watched the boy before pouncing on the wineskin and drinking hungrily from the skin, ignoring the cup altogether. Small, thick red trails inched down the corners of his mouth as he swallowed down the red life. 

Severus watched with interest the grisly display. Reiner had become a vampire the same night his parents had died. Reiner had once been an Auror, just like his brother and sister-in-law. One night, when Severus was four, they had been called away to deal with a vampire nest that was attacking a village in Sussex. Twelve Aurors and Hit Wizards had gone to deal with the vampires. 

Reiner had been the one of three survivors. Sabine and Kaiser had been torn apart for sport by the head vampire, an ancient, sinister monster named Daniel. It was Daniel that had turned Reiner, as a trophy of the battle. Mara had used all her clout and family weight to save her last remaining son. Some said the decision; coupled with the lost of her family in such a fell swoop forever broke her mind. She never visited Reiner and Celeste visited only to ensure that the potion she slipped into his nightly meals keep him sedated and passive. Reiner smiled when he finished his meal and put the wineskin away. His wrists glinted in the moonlight, the manacles he wore that kept him chained him to the floor jingled softly. He sat down across the table, keeping an eye on Severus. 

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Severus." He said softly. "You've had ever advantage." He winked. "Just be mindful of the pussies." 

Severus blinked. "The what?" 

"Gryffindor House, Severus. Your father and brother were one of them so naturally you will be too. You have a large place to fill." 

"What were you?" 

"Ah, I was the black sheep of the family- the only Slytherin in nearly twenty years. Bit of a nasty shock for our name." 

"I'm still scared, Uncle." 

"Don't be, Severus. You're not allowed to be." He leaned back. "You are Snape. You can't be anything but that. Being scared is not entailed with the title." 

Severus felt his heart sink.

"And if you believe that I have a solid gold wand to show you." 

The boy laughed happily. His midnight chats had been nightly voyagers for as long as Severus could remember. Reiner had almost always invited him into the annex for these nightly visits. Only a handful of times had Reiner demanded him to go- times when the vampire in him wanted freedom and revenge. Those times, Severus had left him, remotely understanding the need for darkness. 

They talked till Severus fell asleep in Reiner's bed. A few hours later a fearful Babbitt shook him awake. The curtains were already pulled close and the room was pitch black. Severus rolled over and stared at the sleeping figure of his uncle. Reiner had propped his arm over him, to protect the boy. Severus smiled and traced the man's cheekbone with his finger. Reiner never stirred. It was eerie to note that his chest wasn't moving like a normal sleeper's would. This was of course due to the fact Reiner wasn't breathing. He didn't need too. He kissed Reiner's cheek and slipped out of bed.

He sighed deeply and followed Babbitt out of the room into his new life. 


	2. The Chorus Leader

By that evening, Severus was crowded around with the rest of the first years looking around the vast Great Hall at the four tables filled with older students. A woman with graying black hair was conversing with the Headmaster about last minute details. The Headmaster caught Severus' eye and bowed to him. The first years closest to him parted creating a radius around him, staring at him. Albus Dumbledore knew Severus by reputation only as the realization of who he was hit the students; ripples of conversations ran through the crowd.

"…the son of Sabine Rinaldi…yes…the French family…"

"He's brother was Joachim Snape…the Head Boy…"

"My father knew his brother…."

"….The Heir of Akel Dama…"

Severus closed his eyes and wished he still had his invisibility cloak with him but he had given it to a friend when he had gone to Diagon Alley weeks ago. A sharp rap on the staff's table silenced the students.

"I will call you name to be sorted." The woman explained crisply. She unrolled a large scroll and sighed. "Avery, Darien…"

Severus took the time to study the faces around him. There were faces he recognized from pictures, social engagements, and other things his family name demanded. The Slytherin table seemed to double as a who's who of elderly families: Torin Santiago, a Latin American aristocrat, was watching him with great interest. The Slytherin Perfect Gideon Malfoy was watching him lazily before turning his attention to his brother Silas Malfoy who was in Severus' year. There was another brother, Lucius, who was two years behind. Adrien Lestrange, a third year was sitting next to Natalie Sandell. Mirabelle Fleuette was playing with her hair as she flirted with Silas.

"Dimitri Byron…"

More mumbling from the crowd as the son of Minister of Magic who was sorted into Slytherin, he took his seat next to Natalie. Severus looked at the other three old money sons there. He picked out Reese Wilkes was sitting with the second years, and standing in the line with him was Evan Rosier and who he thought was Peter Pettigrew chatting with two nouve riche kids, James Potter and Sirius Black. Sirius Black caught his eye and sneered at him. Severus was a little confused until he remembered Black family had been blocked from every attempt to rise in status by his aunt. Severus shrugged. He had little patience for family feuds.

"Lily Evans….Gryffindor!"

He looked at the staff table and picked out faces that had been to his aunt's parties. There were a few he knew, including the teacher who was reading the names although her name escaped him.

"You look bored at of your mind." The comment came from the direction of a first year girl who was staring at him amused. She had her hair cut to her chin and it was light brown.

"I am." He answered.

"That's why I came over." She offered her hand. "Jamie Kahle."

"Severus Snape."

"Any ideas of your House?"

"Not the slightest."

Jamie smirked. "I'm almost certain to be a Hufflepuff. Oh don't laugh it's true! We are a proud family of hard workers."

"And we're a rich reclusive family."

"Insane scientist sort of recluse? Maybe you'll be a Ravenclaw."

Severus found himself smiling. "Maybe." He liked this girl."

They talked until she was called and sorted into Slytherin House, the first member not born of the Ascendancy to make into the house this year. She took a seat next to Gideon and waited to watch him.

Someone named Remus Lupin was sorted into Gryffindor. Terrance Maddox became a Ravenclaw and Silas Malfoy became a Slytherin. After two back to back Hufflepuff (McKerry and Sloan.) Then with a quiver of anticipation he heard:

"Snape, Severus"

There was a long second filled with mumbles and people sitting up in rapt attention. He tried to ignore the fact the Headmaster seemed to shift in his seat to see him better.

He felt the cloth of the hat tickle his ears as it slid down. _"Well hello little heir of Akel Dama."_

"Hello."

_"Now of course down to business…a sharp mind and sharper wit, quiet nature, keen eyes…not afraid of work or troubles…and thirst, ambitious, yes very ambitious. But a strong will and strict moral code…yes, a lions heart." _

"Are you going to put me in Gryffindor?"

_ "You have a better idea?" _

"Not Gryffindor…please…" Severus thought pleadingly, a little surprised about the eagerness of his plea. "I don't want to be in my brother's shadow."

_"Yes…" _The hat mumbled._ "Very eager to prove he's different, but be mindful of your choices- they may betray your true self."_

And the Hat said Slytherin. Severus found himself relieved at the choice. He said the name of the House that would make up his home for the next seven years and smiled at how sweet it tasted in his mouth. He saw Jamie Kahle smiling at him from the table and he smiled back. For the first time, he was home. He sat down next to Jamie and she winked at him.

"Tuck in." Jamie said. She reached over and stole a chicken leg from his plate. He smiled back and stole a slice of meat pie. They began to talk, laughing at the stupid jokes they said to make each other laugh.

During desert, Jamie became of aware of the girl staring at Severus from two seats down. She pointed him to her. The girl smiled and motioned to him. He stood and inched over. "Hello."

"Okay you know the drill."

"Pardon?"

She laughed. "My name is Amethyst Connor, of the Welsh Connors and Irish Kearney through my mother." She smirked. "Your turn."

"Severus Snape, no explanation needed although I have Rinaldi blood through my mother Madame Sabine, of the Lyons of course." He nodded. "Enchante, milady."

"There's a well bred stallion!" Amethyst praised. "Don't you just hate how we have to display our heritage like prize pigs?"

"I lose breath after a while, yes."

"And this…" Amethyst said motioning to her blond friend. "Is Dahlia Wyvern. No explanation needed."

Severus paled, impressed. "Of the Ministry's Wyvern?"

"No," Dahlia said softly. "Of the one and only Julia Wyvern- Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts." She pointed to the teacher reading the scroll. "And one of the best Potioners of our time."

"That's Julia Wyvern, the Julia Wyvern?"

"Yes she is." Dahlia smirked. "I was raised here at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in the summer."

Severus listened to the girls until he could politely excuse himself. Jamie was making faces at him and he had to muster all his skill not to offend by laughing out of turn. He was going to kill Jamie. Luckily the feast was over and Gideon Malfoy rose and instructed his classmates to follow him. They filed out in small groups and followed him, all the while amazed with the sights of the school. 

"Cousin!' Severus heard someone call from behind. "Severus!" He turned to the face Evan Rosier. He was a distant relation through a sister of Severus' grandfather but according to the cardinal of inbred rich families that made them close. Or at the very least, tolerant of each other. Severus forced a smile and shook his hand. "Hello Evan." 

"What are you doing with her?" Rosier asked. He motioned to Jamie who had disappeared into the group when Evan appeared. 

"She's my friend." 

"Oh no, she isn't." Evan laughed. "She can be a fling, and when you get older she can be a bit of skirt but never a friend." 

"Why not?" 

"Because she's not Ascendancy, Sev. Honestly, didn't Celeste teach you anything? You don't mix with poor blood, it's almost as bad as having a Mudblood for a friend." Rosier was laughing as if it was the biggest joke in the world. Severus just remained silent. Reiner had taught him to listen but never dispute. He said it always showed weakness and provided the best way to exploit it. Evan took his quietness as a sign to continue. "You see these are your friends," He pointed to Santiago, Fleuette, Lestrange and the others. "They are called the Illuminatti here, mainly because most of our parents make up the board of Governors." Evan smirked. "We practically own the school." 

"I see." 

Evan walked with him into the Common area of Slytherin House. He took a seat on the carpet next to the fire. Severus followed him, looking for Jamie. She was nowhere to be found. Evan seemed to like to talk. "Seriously though Severus, who you are seen with is more important then anything else. People will judge by that: don't make the wrong choice." 

Severus' head snapped to Rosier. He frowned, thinking about what the Hat had said. He wanted to ask Evan if he had heard but before he could, a woman entered. 

It was the woman who had read out the names. She looked more intimidating now when he was sitting at her feet then she had been in the Great Hall. Her lips were full and pressed tightly together as her sharp green eyes searched the faces of each one in the room. She met Evan's eyes and looked away half a second later, they fell on Severus. 

His dark brown eyes looked up and regarded her coolly. He lifted his chin slightly, almost proving he wasn't afraid of her. She arched an eyebrow and turned her attention to Gideon Malfoy who was standing. 

"Your House is prepared, Madam Wyvern." He said crisply. His body rigid at attention. 

She held his eyes then inclined her head. "Thank you Mr. Malfoy." She licked her lips and turned full circle, once again searching the faces. She put her hands behind her back and spoke. 

"For over a thousand years, the House of Slytherin has been home to those select few that have what is takes to be sorted here. Your being placed in my House tells me one of two things: you are either the latest in line of a long history of selective and inter family breeding or you have the ambition to crave out your name and rip respect and power from one these families. I will address each group separately but first let me stress my most important rule: Salazar Slytherin expected nothing but the best from his students and so do I. You are allowed two chances to mess up; this includes even the most minor of offenses and once you waste these, you go home end of story. None of you are allowed to fall below a superior grade in all your classes. This home is known for paragon performance and I expect nothing less then supremacy. 

And now, on to the groups: for the first group let me say this: I am Julia Wyvern, Deputy Headmistress and Potions Master of this school- furthermore as a Wyvern I hail from one of the most prominent families in the world, not just England- if you think your name or what daddy does for a living scares me I suggest you go to the Headmaster's office and beg to Sorting Hat to try again. The password is Chocolate Frog. Second group, hear me very carefully, if you think you can challenge me or do fool hearty to earn respect I repeat, the password is Chocolate Frog. If you don't believe me, try it." She paused and rested her eyes on Severus again. "Welcome to Slytherin House. You are dismissed for the evening." 

The students rose and began to shuffle off. 

She looked up. "Mr. Snape, stay here." 

Severus closed his eyes and stopped in his tracks. Evan looked at him then hurried off. Severus cursed him for his cowardice. Slowly, he turned. "Yes Madame?" 

She was looking at him strangely. Her eyes glittered softly. "You look so much like your uncle." She whispered. 

He shifted in his stance. "Madame?" 

"Our families have always had a strong alliance. If there's anything you need…" 

He was stunned. After all those words, she was just like Rosier. He felt a sudden surge of anger and he knew it was written on his face. 

Julia Wyvern just smiled. "Did I upset you, Severus?" 

"Yes Madame, you did. You're a hypocrite." 

"No," She said, smiling even broader. "I'm proud- of you. I was hoping you'd be like your uncle, we were classmates together. He hated the favors paid to us because of our name. Thank you." She brushed pass him, resting her hands on his shoulder. "I shall enjoying teaching you, young Heir of Akel Dama." 

Severus crept into the first year boy's dormitory after writing a letter to Babbitt and sending it via a school owl. Silas, Dimitri, Evan, and Darien were throwing pillows at each other and when he walked into the room, he became the target. Severus, of course, took his revenge because he was a Snape. He had to uphold the family honor. 

Gradually the boys drifted to sleep an hour later with an odd pillow arrangement: Evan and Dimitri having no pillows at all, Darien and Silas having one each and Severus ending up with eight pillows that were sprinkled over his bed (four to his head, two on his side and two at his feet.) But he couldn't sleep. The dorm room seemed too big and he was feeling incredibly lonely. He jumped slightly when the door opened and a shadowy figure crept into the room. 

Jamie slipped into his bed, throwing the pillows on the floor. He smiled and looked at her curiously in the dark. 

"I don't like the girl's beds." She whispered, simply. 

Severus smiled. "That's okay," He reached over and put his arm around her. She looked at him and whispered. "Good night." 

He looked at her in the moonlight, feeling content. He closed his eyes and he slept. 

"If it isn't the boy king." Sirius Black called after Severus. He smirked and bowed deep. "All hail the boy king." 

"Keep walking Alexander." Jamie whispered as they walked to Herbology together. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. He looked at her and tried to brush it off. "Call me Alex." 

Sirius was strong and athletic and instantly loved by his Gryffindor comrades. James Potter, and the boy called Remus flanked him, keeping their eyes on Reese and Evan who were lingering, watching. Sirius didn't seem to care. "Come on almighty lets see what you have!" 

James reached over and brushed his shoulder. "Come on, Sirius lets not get in trouble on the first day…" 

"Bugger that." Sirius hissed. "I've been hearing this damn boy's name ever since I was born, all the crap he did to my family." 

Severus stopped and looked at him. "From my understanding Sirius it was my uncle's actions that ruined your family. Not mine." 

"You mean that blood sucker?" The boy retaliated. "Come on, Severus. Why don't you tell us how your parents were killed? Tell us they were ripped apart…" 

Severus' eyes flared but he remained silent. Instead he met Jamie's eyes and glanced at her watch. He looked up at her again and smiled. She didn't trust him. 

"Your father's drinking ruined your precious family." Reese Wilkes shouted, clearly not content to let the insults pass. 

Darien Avery smirked and added. "And you whore of a mother- sleeping around, why just ask Minister Byron how she screamed when he took her!" 

It took Remus and James both to hold Sirius back. Darien and Reese laughed, glancing at Severus who was still standing, smiling serenely. 

Sirius looked at him, hatefully. "You aren't worth anything, Severus! Even with all your money and fame, you're still a bastard child." 

Jamie tried to stop him but it was too slow. Severus had swung about, his brand new yew and dragon heartstring wand at him and shouted out a Full Body Bind. The timing was perfect, the bell rung at the same time Sirius fell backwards. 

The laughter in the hall was roaring. Severus turned and Jamie followed. He looked at her innocently. "Herbology is this way right?" 

"Why did you that?" Jamie explained. 

Severus shrugged. "I needed to wait till the classes were out, so everyone could see." 

"You've just made an enemy." 

"But I made one with style." He smiled. 

"It's still an enemy." 

"But one that knows he better be sure he can win when he challenges me." The boy regarded her with a cold, calculating look but one that was amused. "My uncle taught me that: nothing should ever be done just to be accomplished. Make sure it proves a point." 

"Cold philosophy." 

"But expected for what I'm going to be." 

"And that is." 

"The best." Severus kept walking. "Don't you know Jamie? I am going to be God." 


	3. Angel Heart

Author's Note: I got some good news and bad news for all the people out there I vainly call my fans: the bad new: I had surgery on my right arm July 26 and unfortantly I write with my right so expect some time between posts. Typing can be very painful and akward in a cast so it takes time. Please be patient. Good news: I have this story and about three others featuring the Dark Prince and you won't be disappointed. So please Read and Review: Enjoy!

"And that's how I met Sirius Black." Severus said lightly. He was almost nineteen and an Auror although it was in the most loose sense. He was technically an apprentice, he and his partner Billy Moore, to the two 'seasoned' Aurors in front of him. 

Sydney Van Ness laughed as he handed Snape another cigarette. "Nice meeting." 

"And you were modest too." Jude Remington added, taking another drink of his whiskey. 

"I was always modest." He said, taking and lighting the cigarette. "Besides he got me back." 

"How?" Billy asked. 

Dahlia Wyvern entered the room with four fresh drinks. "If you can get him to answer that…" She said. "I'll pay you each forty galleons. He's never told anyone." 

"That so?" 

Severus lifted his glass. "Grant so." 

"Give us a hint?" 

"It involves a tree." 

"Oh yeah…that helped." 

"Thought it might." He answered, glancing at Dahlia as her hand lingered on Billy's shoulder for a moment. 

"Well," Dahlia said, clapping her hands together. "I'm going back with the womenfolk." 

He excused himself and followed her into the hall. "Dahlia...you naughty girl. You like Billy."  
She blushed fiercely. "Of course, I like him. Besides, you like him too." 

"He's alright," He admitted. "For a Mudblood." 

"Severus!" She exclaimed, shocked. 

"Ah, I keep forgetting. Mudblood isn't a proper term. Muggle-born. There is that better?" 

"Much." 

"Still, no matter what name you give him, he still isn't a part of the upper class. Besides, what will mother think?" 

Dahlia smirked. "That's why Mother is still in England and I followed you out here." 

"You followed me out here so you could enjoying new hunting grounds while you wrote mommy back home saying you were dating me. Don't lie." 

"You let me." 

"Of course I let you." He kissed her cheek. "Because I love you. Everyone loves you and would do anything for you." 

"How about quit the cigarettes?" He smashed the cigarette against the doorframe before going back into the den with the men. He heard her call out. "Thank you." 

"Anytime." 

Van Ness applauded his entrance. "Okay, okay…so you told us how you became known as the Miracle Maker." 

Jude nodded. "Best Keeper and Seeker hands down. I would have killed for him to be on my team. You know I still can't believe you quit fourth year." 

"Ask your sis sometime." 

"Okay…so here's my question." Billy added. "So how did you become know as Morning Star? It's a little sacrilegious, even for you." 

"Jamie Kahle gave it to me." Severus answered. "She wasn't part of the Illuminatti but she was a damn good friend." He smiled wistfully. "Really good." His smile flickered. "In fact, it was the day she gave me that name that might life changed forever." 


	4. Morning Star

"Alex…wake up." Jamie whispered. "Wake up," 

The fourteen year old stirred and opened his eyes. He smiled at Jamie who was lying on top of him, as always. She had been sharing his bed ever since first year, much to the enjoyment of his dirty-minded suitemates. "What?" 

She pointed to one star, standing alone in the purple-blue sky. "That's you, Severus." 

"No, that Venus." He whispered. "We learned it in Astronomy, remember?" 

"No, Muggles call it the Morning Star. In Judeo-Christian religions it was said to be an angel, the angel who wanted to be most like God because he was so good at what he did. He was one of the highest-ranking angels in heaven and he could make anyone love him. It's said that one-third of the angels followed him in rebellion against God." 

"Sounds like a smart angel. What happened to him?" 

"He lost his war, he was banished from heaven." 

Severus was watching the Star. "Then what?" 

"He became the Prince of Darkness." Jamie looked down at his face again, her dark blond hair forming a curtain. "They called him Lucifer, son of the morning." 

He looked at her. "But his mistake was he lost. I won't make that same mistake." 

"Come on, Morning Star. Lets go get breakfast. Besides you said Babbitt was supposed to write today." 

It was their fourth year at Hogwarts and Severus had grown into his introverted personality. Brown hair became ebony as muscles began to form and harden under his slender build and pale skin. Some considered him handsome, especially Amethyst Connor who had instantly and unofficially claimed him in the "Marriage Mart." During his second year, Severus was chosen for the Quidditch team and played as Keeper. He had also death experience with Sirius Black that he never talked about. Walking into the Great Hall with Jamie on his arm always caused rumors and envious glares. 

Jamie Kahle was prefect in everyway. She had curves in all the right places and a smile that lit up the room. Bright eyes, clear and intelligent looked at you and made you feel you were the most important thing in the room. When you talked to Jamie, there was nothing else in the world that mattered to her, only you and getting you to smile. Her hair was always messy and her robes always torn from nightly excursions into the Forbidden Forest to talk to the Centaurs about Astronomy. Indeed, she was at her best when she was plotting the stars. 

The rest of Severus' friendships were the high brows from the Hogwarts Illuminatti. In the beginning, he allied himself with them because it was expected of him to do so but by his fourth year, his loyalty to them was sincere. They were his people, his family that he had never had. And what a family: 

Amethyst Conner was the exact opposite of Jamie. Her robes were always crisp and immaculate. Dainty and cultured, Amethyst adorned Severus' arm at social events during the summer and when they traveled to Hogsmeade. Severus, ever the gentleman, never tried to relieve himself of her although he would have been too pleased to do so. Her twin in fashion sense and beauty was Mirabelle Fluette, the gracious French flower whose virtue was comprised early on by Silas Malfoy. 

The Malfoy brothers, Silas and his younger brother Lucius were classic aristocrats, making up for what they lacked in true skill and talent with charm and manners that the Malfoy clan had years to prefect. Lucius was cunning and vicious and Severus didn't trust the boy. The blond always seemed to have something hidden just under the surface of his schemes and his words dripped with ambition. It wasn't that he viewed Lucius as competition; it was that Lucius was eager for power and someone crafty could easily manipulate that. 

But Silas was something different. Silas was charming, funny and made you believe he was sincere. Severus liked Silas' wit and good nature and of all the Illuminatti, Silas was easily his favorite. More then that, Silas was his true friend, almost a brother. 

Then there were the triplets, people called them: Avery, Wilkes and Rosier. Each of them enjoyed life and had no other ambition then to continue to do so. Power and friends came naturally to them, as long as they had the money to keep the party going and each had no problem keeping up the party. In time they would all marry some beautiful debutant to be unhappy with and take a mistress and go through life producing the next Illuminatti generation. They were content with that and Severus enjoyed their foolishness. With them, he could be foolish too. And innocent. 

Love existed in the Illuminatti too. Unlike the constant and very amusing fights between Silas and Mirabelle (and indeed it was a daily pot going on how long the fights would last and where) or the classic Illuminatti practice of one-night stands and cheap relationships that never lasted, be it homo or heterosexual. The Illuminatti simply didn't seem to have the fidelity other houses had. The golden couple of Hogwarts was Lily and James whom seemed to be sickly in love and the Slytherin counter to them were the Lestranges. They weren't married yet but it was given that Adrien Lestrange would take Natalie Sandell to his wife and would never part from her. 

Their love was a fixed as Jamie to her star maps. 

Dimitri Byron seemed the only male in the group, who liked Severus, always remained stag and proudly single. Dimitri probably owed this to his father, being the Minister's son entailed no life and seldom a moment alone. Severus felt for him. They were the only two at Hogwarts that needed bodyguards to journey to the village. The Snape family still had many enemies and the Byron family was quickly getting there. 

Over it all, Torin Santiago, by then the Slytherin Prefect, watched like some omnipotent god. He was there as counsel, mentor, advisor but never friend. Torin was untouchable and unobtainable. Torin had become what every Illuminatti would one day become, a leader. He wore his responsibility on his sleeve. A fatal mistake in Severus' opinion but who cared, after all, it was only school. 

Rounding out the Illuminatti was Dahlia. Nothing needed to be said about Dahlia that you couldn't infer by looking into those clear blue eyes. To know Dahlia was to love her and do anything for her. She was a raven-haired beauty that loved and dared to live, regardless of her duty. She ignored her last name altogether and every burden it produced opting simply to be Dahlia. She was reckless but lovely. 

Severus loved her because her love of life often got her into trouble that he would pull her out of. He liked the feeling he got when she looked into his eyes. She'd always smile and whisper. "You're too good for me." 

Perhaps they weren't all the wisest or even the most cautious but none of thought they had to be. At that moment, in that time, they were just the Hogwarts Illuminatti. For them there was no future and no past, only then and there. There was only the Illuminatti and Severus was proud to belong to it. They were the best and the brightest, and just a shrewd and cunning. More importantly, they were his friends and nothing else in the world mattered. 

Then, as it had happened with Torin, it happened to Severus. 

Destiny and duty came in the form of a cream colored envelope, delivered by the Headmaster himself with Professor Wyvern trailing close behind. There was something odd in her eyes, usually Severus would have called them tears but Wyvern never cried. 

"Professor?" Dumbledore's voice had been still and quiet. "May I speak with Master Snape?" 

Severus had glanced at Jamie questioningly. He had never been addressed as Master before. If address at all by a title it was always "the Heir of Akel Dama" never the Master. He had brushed the dirt from his hands and stepped outside the green house to talk to the adults. Dumbledore kneeled to his eye level to give him the letter. He found himself staring at the scrawl, written hastily and without much care. 

_"To the Lord of Akel Dama, Hogwarts School…" _

He looked up at Dumbledore and Wyvern. "What's this?" 

"A letter from the Minister of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemus Crouch." 

He swallowed hard, not wanting to open it. He had met Crouch once, at a party. He didn't like that man. He stared at the letter in his hands. He handed it to Dumbledore. "Take it, I don't want it." 

Wyvern told him to open and read it. Silently, stoically, he obeyed and read. 

_"Dear Severus Snape, _

_I regret to inform you that there was an attack on Akel Dama. We had been tracking the vampire Daniel but arrived too late to save your grandmother and aunt. Your uncle Reiner was seen along side Daniel so we can only assume that he has joined the vampire nest. It is with a sad heart I inform you this. Your family has always upheld the proud Auror tradition and England lost good people with this senseless act. Please take my sincerest condolences with you. _

_Sincerely, Minister Crouch." _

Crouch's secretary signed it in the actual Minister's stead. Severus took a few seconds to read the letter over. He didn't breath for a whole minute while he digested the news. Then, he looked up and with an almost embarrassed look on his face. "Forgive me for being rude, Headmaster, Professor. Thank you for my letter but you didn't need to bring me it personally." He inhaled sharply. "May I ask to be excused from class?"

"Severus, you've been granted a leave from school." Wyvern said softly. "Your valet Deacon is going to be here tonight to take you home."

They turned to go but Severus called after them. He looked confused and frightened. "What am I suppose to do? What is the protocol for this?"

Dumbledore looked pained beyond words. He glanced at Wyvern. She stared at him with a gentle, motherly expression. "Go home and bury your family, Severus. Then return to us."

He watched them go. "Am I allowed to mourn?" He whispered. But no one answered.


	5. The First Death

Author's Note: Back by popular demand or the death threats I've received...enjoy and review!

Try as he might, Severus could not make his footsteps sound anymore quieter and Akel Dama had never seemed more unwelcoming. His polished shoes echoed loudly in the hallways. Hallways that gleamed under the strict cleaning and supervision of Babbitt and the others. He glanced down to the entrance hall where the strong Golem his father had fashioned stood guard. The Golem, called Deacon, was staring into emptiness with his strong arms crossed over barrel chest. The creature, made of clay and incantations was the only tangible link to his family. 

And it seemed fitting somehow. The only thing the Snape name had ever given him was only real because of fleeting magic. He smiled grimly and continued to walk the halls of his new domain, his kingdom. His grandmother's room was locked, the same for his Aunt's. In a sense he was relieved, he didn't want to see the rooms where his only family was slain, part of him never wanted to see this house again. 

But part of him understood that this house was part of something more, something he would in time have to return too. Only he didn't know what it was he had to return too. 

He found his way to the Gray Library, to the hidden annex, to where his only happy memories of this house came from, and to where his family's murderer had lived. 

"My, aren't you a brave lad, Little Prince." 

Severus shuttered at the sound of his uncle's voice. But he didn't have time to turn before he heard another voice. "Is this your little nephew, my son?" 

A frail looking man entered his line of sight. The man didn't look much older then Severus but there was an age to his features. The man, the boy, regarded him with milky white eyes and his crimson lips curled into a smile. There was a cruelty in the boy's eyes, in his very presence that Severus had never witnessed before. It occurred to him that the boy before him was pure evil. 

And part of that realization attracted Severus to the vampire. The fierce, still storm of hate behind the eyes called out into something deep inside. He shivered uncontrollably. "Daniel." 

Daniel's smile grew even wider. "I see the boy is well informed." 

On instinct, Severus made a motion to pull his wand but strong arms reached under his armpits and pulled back. The yew wand dropped and rolled over to Daniel. Severus was aware of his uncle's face hovering dangerously near his ear. 

"So young…so very much alive…" Reiner whispered, breathing hard in attempt to quell the lust for blood. 

Daniel tilted his head. "My son, you always loved him more then his own father…take him." 

"He's a child." 

"That is of no importance, Reiner." Daniel said, his own lust coming to the surface to break his cool exterior. "If you will not turn him, kill him." 

Severus had been close to death once before. It had been under the razor sharp claws of a werewolf. He could remember only one thing of the incident; the cold, uncivilized glare of a hungry animal deprived of his meal when James Potter ripped him from the beast's grasp. That time, Severus had been half-paralyzed with fear and half-angry at his cowardice. This time was different. This time, Severus felt no fear and no anger. In fact, he felt nothing at all expect the passage of time. 

"Leave him be." Reiner said, softly. He released his hold on Severus and walked to Daniel. "Let him go…" 

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll grant what you ask." With a swift move, he had taken Severus into arms and laughed. "This is his release." 

Severus felt Daniel's teeth sink into his neck and at the same time hot, white pain erupted through his entire body. He had never known such pain. He opened his mouth to scream but found he had no voice. Daniel pressed deeper before pulling away with a cry of sheer pleasure. "Your turn." 

Reiner sank to his knees. "Please, Master. Let him be." 

"Are you to beg now? Beg for the life of his spawn of the family that kept you imprisoned and a slave?" 

"I will beg, father. I'll do whatever it takes…" 

Severus felt betrayed. A Snape never begged. With the last ounce of his strength he kept his eyes on his uncle. He couldn't believe it. His uncle had begged. Daniel seemed to enjoy it immensely. "No man should have something that causes him to beg." Daniel said sinisterly. "I shall release you." 

This time the vampire showed no mercy. Severus tried to breath but the world was becoming hazy. His body felt suddenly heavy and he could barely keep his eyes open. He wanted to sleep. Daniel seemed to understand this because he relaxed his grip. Severus' head rolled to one side as his eyes drooped into sleep. 

"NO!" 

Severus felt himself ripped from his sleepy haze. He felt to the floor in a motionless bundle, hearing the thuds of Daniel and Reiner as they were thrown clear cross the room. He looked, painfully, at the little House Elf that stood between him and the two advancing vampires. Babbitt looked fierce and very scared. Her little body was shaking from rage or fear, Severus couldn't tell which. 

"You go now, Master Reiner." Babbitt whispered dangerously. "You go…" 

Reiner and Daniel exchanged looks and must had decided it wasn't worth the risk because neither one tried to approach him. Severus, however, had already drifted into blackness. 


	6. Earthbound

Pure darkness. 

No sound, no light, nothing to assure the senses that he was still alive or even to introduce him to the afterlife. Instead it was the humid, unforgiving darkness that swallowed him whole. He remembered screaming out for help, for deliverance but there was none that came. A grisly realization occurred to him that he was dead but somehow it was not heaven he was in, or even hell. He was captured somewhere, trapped within purgatory. He was trapped inside this darkness. 

Severus tried to scream again for help and again he had no response. He curled into a ball, trying to make sense of it all. He had never felt so alone. 

Then light, cruel and overpowering light that burned his eyes flooded his consciences and he knew he was not dead anymore. Someone had ripped him from the darkness, the solitude, and brought him back. 

But not all of him was back, as Severus' weak eyes focused on the face through hazy, tear soaked eyes, he felt something missing from him. It was like some part of him had been left in that darkness. 

"Why did you bring me back?" 

"Bring you back?" 

Severus inclined his head, realizing the voice didn't know what he was talking about. When he looked back, Jamie was staring down at him. He forced a smile. "Jamie?" 

"Oh Severus!" Jamie exclaimed, throwing herself over him and clinging to him tightly. "I thought you were going to die." 

"But I did…I don't know to explain it but I did…" 

"What are you talking about?" Jamie sat up, staring at him. 

"It's like I was night itself. I couldn't feel anything or see anything…" 

"Alex, you're scaring me." 

"And I left something behind, Jamie…" He looked over to Jamie and grabbed her hand. He saw the concern in her eyes so he smiled weakly. "Wild dream, huh?" 

Jamie leaned down and gave him his first kiss. It was soft and meaningful. It could have lasted only a moment but that moment was suppose to have meant everything in the world. Jamie pulled away and studied him. "Don't ever leave me again, Alex." 

Severus watched her go wondering why he hadn't felt anything. 

The next few weeks were a haze. He found it hard to concentrate on his studies and even harder to go through the daily paces of his life. Nobody knew about his vampire attack but the funerals were still fresh on everyone's mind so he was granted leeway and privacy. 

The only time he ever felt safe or even at peace was during the night or when he found his solace somewhere high above the world. Some nights he would climb up to the Owlery and watch as the birds hunted and flourished in the darkness. During the day the owls existed, doing their duty and performing tasks but the night was theirs. 

Severus envied them. At least in this darkness, they could find themselves; night had yet to reveal to him what he had left there. He still felt trapped in his dreamy haze, caught somewhere between his death, and this new, awkward life. 

It was like he had to learn to be alive again. His friends seemed to accept that this was the natural order of things for the Heir of Akel Dama. He had always been private, using his perfect manners and wit to disarm anyone but only now did he use this talent like a shield. Something in him screamed that the world couldn't see his new self. Not yet. 

But he didn't understand this transformation and it scared him. He had never felt so lost before and so alone. He had never admitted to loving his grandmother and aunt but they had still been the only family he knew, and they had laid out his life. Now he lacked their guidance. He needed someone to understand what he was feeling. Although Jamie tried to reach him, too many times she tried and failed to reach him. This was a time he needed someone more then a friend, someone Jamie couldn't be. 

And that truth coupled with his change was perhaps most painful because there was a wealth of emotions and concerns he didn't understand and wanted nothing more in the world then to desperately want to free himself from them. This emptiness, this darkness he felt was something he could not share with Jamie, Silas or anyone else from the Illuminatti; he was certain they wouldn't understand. So he hid. As a boy at Akel Dama he had hidden in an old yew tree on the grounds that provided a direct view of the annex above the Gray Library. It was there; he could hide and think for hours. 

At Hogwarts, the tree he chose to hid in was oak and provided a view of the lake's entrance into the Forbidden Forest. 

Laughter interrupted his thoughts. He looked down and saw Lily Evans from Gryffindor running and laughing uncontrollably. Severus slid down to a lower limb and leaned forward to see. Lily had her eyes on the sky, watching intently something Severus couldn't see from his vantage point. 

"Come down here!" Lily laughed and for a moment Severus thought she was telling him that. Then, a brown falcon swooped down and began its ascent. Severus watched amazed as the falcon began to shift and transform. A girl appeared where the bird should have landed, at the foot of his tree and a few feet away from Lily. 

The girl was surreal. She had dark brown skin, the color of fine caramel or, and this seemed a more fitting description for the bird girl, the color of earth. She didn't walk; she glided on delicate bare feet. She was wearing a collection of beads on her neck and a large leather band with a silver ring on her wrist, similar to a fowler's tether. Her hair, light brown, was wild and wind spent and cut in ragged lengths trailing down her back. A simple Asian style outfit adorned her frame. It was made of simple white linen, high collared and incredible suiting for the girl. 

Severus shifted, and the girl heard it, snapping her head to look straight up into the well-covered tree. 

Her face gave the faintest whisper of being oriental but the usually defined eyes and narrow face were more ethnic, plain even. She inclined her head, very much reminding Severus of a bird. But her eyes struck him; almond and bird like, and a sharp silver color, they were incredibly sad. Her eyes told him she understood his darkness. "Hello?" 

Severus didn't move. 

"I know you're there, I can hear you breathing." 

It was impossible for her to hear him, even if she was an animagus. Animagi held none of the acute senses of the animal form while they were humans. Only changelings could, such as werewolves. She must be a changeling, which confirmed his suspicion about her ethnic background. Usually only indigenous peoples contained that talent. It was a type of magic that could not be studied or taught, it came naturally to certain races. 

"My name is Melanie Reyes." She said softly. "Won't you tell me your name?" 

"Come on, Melanie." Lily called. "We have to go." 

Melanie ignored her. "How about your age? School House?" She was searching the tree limbs for him. "I'm in Ravenclaw." 

"Slytherin." 

Melanie smiled, a small, closed and tempered smile but one that lit up her sad eyes. Severus fell in love with her that instant. "I hope to see you soon, Slytherin." She called before running to Lily. 

He could hear her asking Lily about any Slytherins she knew. He found himself smiling. 


	7. Kindred Spirits

Melanie Reyes seemed acutely aware of the fourth year that was following her through the library. She was third year, and a fresh transfer to the school. This had been her fourth transfer since she stated school at 11 and she was accustomed to never solace but this school, unlike the others was different. Melanie felt at home here. 

She had never questions Tom Riddle's motives for moving her around often. He had always assured her it was for her own protection. The children of Dark Wizards were never accepted in the magical community, he said. Her parents had been summarily executed for teaching the Dark Arts to a circle of adepts when she was a infant and Tom had taken her under his wing. He was her only family although she rarely saw him, save for holidays and the unexpected midnight visits she sometimes got from him. But Tom was never far from her. He wrote to her regularly to have an idea about her life, he always said with a boyish grin. She owed him everything and therefore she never complained when he moved her. 

But looking into the arresting eyes that were so dark that almost looked of the boy who was watching her, Melanie hoped she would never have to leave. Quite simply, she was in love with this boy. She couldn't wait to tell Tom about him. 

"Are you going to spend the entire time staring at me?" She asked. The boy smiled and nodded. He leaned against the bookshelf and continued to watch her. She bit her lip nervously. "Can you talk?" 

He nodded. 

"Then why don't you?" 

He shrugged and then turned his head swiftly revealing chin length black hair that was tied back. His profile was defined and even more handsome but marred by two small scars just below his left ear. She knew exactly what it was. Her breath caught, a little excited. She was about to speak again when a trio of Slytherin pounced on the boy voyeur. 

The tallest a platinum blond the others called Silas spoke. "Come on, Avery's about to start a duel with Remus! He needs you to cover for him." 

"Sirius is Remus' helper if that sweetens the deal." Another boy coaxed. 

The voyeur's face darkened with hate and nodded. He turned quickly to Melanie, and bowed genteelly before following Silas. She watched him go, unawares that the final Slytherin, a girl, had lingered to study Melanie. 

The girl was watching her with cold, steely eyes and for a moment Melanie was afraid she was the girlfriend. Then the girl spoke, "So what's your name?" 

"Melanie Reyes." She whispered. 

The girl's face brightened. "Ah, so your Melanie." 

"Excuse me." 

"That boy who just left, the one who you were gazing dreamily into his eyes? His name is Severus and your all he's been talking about." 

"I don't even know him." 

"He saw you once, about two weeks ago but I don't think you saw him." 

Melanie was about to frown when it struck her. "The boy in the tree?" The girl nodded and Melanie felt pleased. "So are you the girlfriend?" 

"Hardly." She laughed. "Best friend, Jamie Kahle." She extended a hand, which Melanie took. "Which means, I'm the one who has the sacred duty to hook you two up." 

Melanie laughed. "So what do we do first?" 

That night, Severus leaned over to make sure Jamie was still asleep. He called her name softly and when he didn't hear a response, he slipped out of bed and snuck out of his dormitory. He wasn't aware of Jamie following him or her escaped giggle when she left him to find Melanie. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to hear her. He crept up to the Owlery, his favorite haunt during the nights, and sat looking at the stars, grounds and world around him, passing him by. 

For the first time in a long time, his dreams had not been about the darkness. They had been about Melanie. He conjured her up in his mind and tried to remember every detail of her face, body, and those soft, sad eyes. They had burned deep into his soul and embedded themselves there. In his memory, he could be at peace. 

He watched as an eagle owl swooped down and snatched a fish from the lake. He smiled; the darkness was theirs and his. This moment was his. 

"I heard I'd find you here." He heard a voice from behind and it startled him. He turned abruptly and saw Melanie. 

There was something unusual about her expression. Her eyes seemed to dart over his entire body and then seemed to rest on his face. She remained that way for a long time, just watching him. Or, he thought with a little unease, studying him. 

"My god," She whispered. "You're beautiful." 

"I love you." Became the first words he spoke to her and he said in a deep, serious tone. He had never been so compelled or so certain of anything in his life until now. "And one day, I'll marry you." 

She was quiet for a moment. Then she nodded, equally somber. "Ok." 

And a sort of understanding passed between them just then. It was like they had just acknowledged their destiny together. Something deeper bound them and they accepted it without hesitation. From that moment on and for the next two years, Melanie Reyes pledged herself to Severus Snape. 

The night of his graduation, Severus Snape did something he hadn't done in almost four years. He opened the doors to Akel Dama. He had not remembered it as cold and abandon as it looked now. He had not been through those doors since the funerals and now the house was forgotten. The House Elves had retreated to the servant's house, only entering the main house on Sundays to dust. Severus walked up the familiar stairs and darkened halls with a kind of macabre awe for the stillness. 

He found the doors to his Grandmother and Aunt's rooms locked, as well as Celeste's private study and laboratory. Jesse's room, as always, was opened and prepared, as if the owner would return any day now. Severus didn't dare try the annex of the Gray Library. His things were already gone from the house. Ever since the funerals, he had spent his summers in France, at his mother's childhood home where his only surviving relations-his uncle Pascal Rinaldi and family lived. The Rinaldis had always been kind to him but he had never considered them truly family, in fact being there was the exact same as being here in Akel Dama, except the faces changed and the language was different. 

Looking back, Severus never considered anyone family; not Mara, not Celeste and certainty not the Rinaldi. To them, he had just been the replacement for Jesse. To everyone he had always just been the latest avatar for the Snape destiny: Live, marry and die according to the rules of protocol. In this latest generation, protocol demanded he be an Auror and so as he completed his schooling at Hogwarts, a seventeen-year-old Severus Snape took a last, long look at what had been his home for years. 

Someone stirred behind him and with a start, he turn around at see the expecting face of Dahlia Wyvern, waiting. She was watching him with a respectful gleam in her eyes. "Are you sure about this?" 

"What?" He asked innocently enough. 

"Leaving England, going to American to become what, an Auror? Is this really what you want to do? I thought you wanted to keep dueling." Dahlia bit her lip. "Or at least go find Melanie." 

"Melanie made her decision when she left." He said stiffly, not wanting to remember that heartbreak. "Besides are you sure you want to follow me?" 

Dahlia smirked. "Anything to get away from mother." 

He smiled slightly, amused and wondered why did it feel like they both were running away. He shrugged off the unease and motioned for her to lead. And so, Severus Snape pulled shut the doors of Akel Dama and followed Dahlia towards his future at Hecate Academy of Aurors. 

"What happened to Melanie?" 

"She left my sixth year." 

"Any reason why?" 

"None at all. No explanation, no goodbye." 

"And that's it?" Sydney asked, taking in the last drag of cigar. 

"That's it." Bitterly and almost sardonically it occurred to Severus that he had been following people places all his life. He wondered if he ever would do something truly his. "Story of my life, nothing fancy or ornate outside the means of my family's death." 

"Why didn't you track Daniel down?" Remington asked. "Or why didn't you go after Melanie? It sounds like she loved you." 

"She must have had her reasons for leaving. I'll respect them." Severus leaned over and stole the last of Billy's whiskey. "Besides, she had her own demons to fight. Just like I have mine." 

"Whatever." Remington countered, "And Jamie?" 

"We went out about two weeks ago but that was the first I'd seen her since we graduated." 

Remington nodded slowly then rose up on drunken legs. "Well, I best be off, gents. Brigit is probably going to have my hide for tonight." He bowed his head lazily and walked into the other room to retrieve his girlfriend. 

Dahlia appeared a moment later to take Billy home. The unconscious man leaned heavily on the socialite much to Severus' amusement. Sydney's girlfriend left with Dahlia, clearly more then a little annoyed that the men had become so…spirited. 

"That leaves just you and me, partner." Sydney teased. "We could A) play some chess or B) get some sleep considering we have this new thing popping up…what's this guy's name anyways." Van Ness leaned over the coffee table, shifting through the old newspapers. 

"Voldemort." Severus supplied from memory. "They call him Voldemort. There's some speculation he may be gaining a following, we have to question that new list Crouch sent us. Which is why," Severus rose, himself a little spirited. "I'll take my leave of you. See ya tomorrow." Severus bowed his head, poured the remaining whiskey into a plastic cup and left. 

Alone. 


	8. Brothers

'What on Earth are you dressed as?" Sydney Van Ness exclaimed from his seat the next morning, nursing the remains of black coffee and a killer hangover. He was staring rather dumbly at his friend Billy Moore. 

Jude Remington was trying very hard not to fall off his chair laughing. So far he had managed it not to but his face was turning an unnatural color of red. Jude finally gave up and sank from his chair laughing. His body hitting the floor created a loud boom that startled the last member of the group. 

"What are you bloody tossers doing in here? Carrying on like a bunch of women while..." Severus Snape's rebuked died there when he entered the room and collapsed into the same laughing fit that had fell Jude. 

Billy just smiled pleased with himself. He was wearing fade jeans, washed one to many times to be really called blue, a pair of neglected sandals, and a black tee-shirt with red writing proudly proclaiming, "Shut up brain or I'll stab you with a Q-Tip." He was also carrying a plain white bag. "And I got some for each of you." 

Sydney looked around. "What we don't look Muggle enough for you." 

"No, all of you look like Aurors pretending to be Muggles." 

"And all this time, I thought I was a dancer." Severus exclaimed sullenly. "There go my dreams of Carnegie Hall." He sank into the chair once occupied by Jude. 

Jude put his head on Severus' lap and looked up at him. "You'll always be my ballerina, Alex." 

"Oh shut up Remy." 

Now on work time, the four friends at least looked the part as Aurors, Severus, or Alexander Rouge as he was now known, and Billy had just wrapped up their second year as apprentices to the 'seasoned' Aurors Sydney and Remington. Only one more year remained before they were officially Aurors. They had been instant friends since the first days that Severus and Billy had, as Sydney' put it 'darken the doorway of his office.' Sydney Van Ness was the American equal to Severus, a rich son of an Auror history. Billy, however, was a Muggle born Wizard who never seemed to grasp the finer points of magic like his well bred counterparts. But Billy was the heart of the group; a kind, gentle man who more then made up for the tempers of Van Ness or Snape. Severus and Remington traced their legacies back to old money across the pond and still nursed the inborn rival between the alumnae of Gryffindor and Slytherin. It was a unique clash of personas and one that made for strong bonds of trust between them all and a working environment that almost made Severus feel at home. 

He sat back watching his friends continue to joke around, all the while feeling the same longing that had overwhelmed him since he was 14. He stared at them, savoring the moments with him and knowing the moment wouldn't last forever and indeed it never did. Last night's tell all to his friends had left him feeling vulnerable and exposed, something he had never allowed himself to be at Hogwarts. He rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to believe that he didn't like the effects of these men but he knew that the opposite was true. These three men were his life and the only ones that seemed to be able to make him forget that missing part of him. The Illuminatti with all their fun and camaraderie couldn't compare to these men. They made him feel almost like them, that he could possess some of their better virtues. 

Melanie had made him feel that way too and he felt a pang of sadness overcome him as he thought about the woman he loved. Melanie had appealed to some need in him to protect, to nurture and guard her. She had revealed herself to be a broken, frightened girl and that had made him eager to be strong for her. He had wanted, with every ounce of his soul, to be her guardian. He had wanted to be there to protect from her, from the world if needed. He wondered who was looking out for her now. 

"Oh who…Alex?" 

It was Remington's voice that called him back from his musings. Jude had a look in his eye. "You need a woman, if only for one night." 

"Or a man if that's what you fancy." Sydney said softly. 

Severus mustered up all his patience and smiled cordially. "Naw, tried that once. The damn Gryffindor broke my heart." 

"Sorry bout that." Jude whispered. 

"Oh it wasn't you. It was a little bit of tail named James Potter." A collective moan followed that unneeded revelation, especially from Jude who understood the sarcasms behind it. Jude begged for mercy to which Severus replied somewhat too casually. "Oh he said that too." 

"Okay, okay." Sydney said. "If you are all done…" 

"All done, sir." 

"Then down to some real work…what about these reports." He threw the papers across the table to him. Sydney stood. "According to this report, this Voldemort has done us a favor. He's eliminated every major Dark Arts Cult from Europe to Asia." 

"Are you sure he isn't one of those Aurors the Department of Mysteries employs?" Jude asked, slightly amused. "I mean no one can just sweep unto the scene and suddenly pull this off." 

"Can they?" Billy asked. 

"It sounds to me like he's planning something." Severus said, looking over the papers. "But by no means is he going to act against the Ministry right now. He'll need to build up a circle of supporters, allies to his cause." 

"Dark Wizards?" 

"Wizards, witches, vampires, werewolves, maybe even a union with the giants too. He doesn't seem like the kind of Wizard that just wants power. He wants something else…" Severus let his hand brush over the papers, almost like if they were calling to him, beckoning him. Something in him stirred. 

"What's he's looking for?" 

"Revenge maybe. But I don't think this is about wealth… It could be about power but there would have to be something else…immortality." There was a long silence that followed that pulled Severus from his musings. He looked up slightly afraid of what they would think. He had allowed some of his precious secret show. He had let his darkness, his longing seep through his built image of the all around Auror: someone who was smart, compassionate (although Severus had always felt a lack of empathy) and witty. He stared at them all, wondering. 

It was Sydney who spoke first. "My god, you need to get laid." 

Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for the weird time line this story has but I'm just trying to establish the main points of my version of Snape's background. A lot of the points in this story (such as his relationship with Reiner, Babbitt and Melanie) I plan to elaborate on in other stories and this one should just be viewed as a outline. Please Read and Review. 


	9. Rising Dragons

The noise made Snape literally fall out of bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and cursed whoever was at his door. He stumbled through the darkness, pulling his sheet around his body and looking in the dark for the light switch. He leaned against the door. "Who is he?" 

"Sev, it's me, Dahlia." Whimpered the voice from beyond his door. "Open up…I need help." Perhaps there was something in her plea that appealed to his gentleman nature, or perhaps he was just her friend and that caused him to open the door at 3 am in the morning and thereby sealing the path that his life would take for the next few years. In any case, her scared voice awoke Severus immediately and he opened the door. He had never heard Dahlia so scared and was even more concerned when she threw herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her uncomfortable and tried to sooth her. "Come now, Dahlia…what's the matter huh?" He tried to laugh. "Did you lose your earring again? Contact?" 

"Severus that's not funny." 

"Yes it is…and you know it." Dahlia giggled softly and he, somewhat assured that she wouldn't commit suicide, leaned over. He reached over and pushed her blond hair from her back behind her ear. He smiled reassuringly. "I'm going to make some tea, alright? Just wait here." He smiled at her gently the rose and walked towards his kitchen. He threw the rest of his bed sheet over his body like a toga. He called back at her. "Orange or Mint…I think I have a bag of Earl Gray somewhere." 

"I'm pregnant, Severus." Dahlia said suddenly. 

He dropped the cup he was holding and stared at her. "Does Billy know?" 

"I haven't told him yet." 

"I'm assuming you are going to tell him…or do you plan to keep it." 

"I don't know what to do, Severus…I had to come to you." She hid her head in her hands. "I'm scared." 

"And you came to me?" 

"You always know what to do." She said sheepishly but with conviction. She was too busy ringing her hands together to give much care to his amused expression. She kept muttering to herself asking herself what she should she do. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. Dahlia leaned against his shoulder and buried her head in his. She squirmed in his arms. "What am I going to do?"  
Severus rested his chin on her head and thought about the situation. He chewed on his lip. "Marry me, Dahlia Wyvern." 

"What?" Dahlia deadpanned. She was staring at him strangely but her whole body was shaking slightly. Her hands were trembling in his. Her eyes were wide and fearful and totally glued on him. "What are you asking of me?" 

"I'm asking for your name." He said simply. "And your family allied to mine. Face it, Moore, however nice a human being won't bode well with the families. He's a Mudblood and a Yankee to boot. Besides, did you ever have intentions of marrying him?" 

"I don't love you." 

"Marriages aren't always about love." 

"But what about Billy?" 

"Keep him, love him, grow old with him." He smiled at her. "Just do it with my name." She was shaking her head and searching his eyes for some form of reassurance. He was right, of course, not all marriages were for love. But she had always thought that Severus was above all the dramas of the rich, beyond it. She told him so and to that he just replied. "Our futures aren't ours, Dahlia, never were. You and I are defined by our names." 

"You know you aren't Jesse and you don't have to be. You never did." 

His face darkened. "I am what people want me to be, the Illuminatti wanted me to be a playboy and I am. My family wanted me to be an Auror and I am. I'm the best Auror and within five years everyone will know my name. But I'll need someone to share it with." He smirked. "If only for the cameras." He slapped her knees and brought her the tea. "Agreed?" 

"Of course, Severus." 

"Now get some rest." 

One morning, around two years later, Severus awoke to a small weight on his chest. He chuckled lightly and kept his eyes closed. It took a few moments before he felt a light finger tap on his nose. 

"Daddy," Pandora Snape whispered. "Daddy up." 

"Not Daddy." Severus whispered back. "Daddy's Billy, go bug Billy, Monkey." 

The two-year old laughed shrilly. "No Monkey! Dora! Daddy Alex up!" 

"Not Daddy Alex!" 

"Yes Daddy Alex!" 

"Alexander Rouge, you stop giving my child issues!" He heard Billy Moore shout from the kitchen. 

"Your kid already has issues!" Alex shouted back. "She thinks she has two dads!" 

"I still think it's a clever ploy to get more presents at Christmas!" Billy rebutted sharply. "Now get over here for breakfast before Dahlia hurts you." 

But he wasn't listening. Alexander, as Severus had been known since he entered the Auror Academy, was too busy teaching Dora a new sentence. He emerged into the kitchen a few minutes later with Dora perched on his shoulders proudly proclaiming, "I have issues! I have issues!" 

In response, Dahlia threw a spatula at Alex that hit squarely between the eyes. Dora had fun playing the butter that remained after he had wiped it off. Depositing Dora into her chair and taking his seat, Alexander sat and studied the breath of his domain. Content. 

It was an odd family arrangement to say the least and one that was not easy to describe. Simply put, Billy Moore and Dahlia had found themselves expecting a child. Dahlia, content to love a Mudblood, er, Muggle born was not strong enough to marry one in open defiance of the unspoken rules of the highborn Wizarding families. Enter Severus Alexander, the successful aristocrat that Dahlia was supposed to have been intimate with. He married her in a private ceremony (yet not private enough for the gossip to get back to England) and thus saving her repute and the child's future. In a very odd turn of events, he, who was still a bachelor in everything but name, found himself living in a spare bedroom and godfather to the child who bore his last name. It was a very odd family living arrangement or as Sydney and Jude liked to call it, an Englishman's version of ménage a troi. 

"And today on Galaxy Quest, can Commander Taggert and his crew save themselves from the evil Tenaha Empire?" The television blared as Dahlia put it on her favorite show. 

Severus repeated the lines he knew by heart from so many babysitting sessions. "By Garbathar's Hammer…by the suns of Warven, you shall be avenged." 

"Poor man." Dahlia muttered staring at the TV. "You know he's typed cast for life now." 

"Naw. I saw him in Richard the Third." Severus said. "Excellent performance, he'll find work." 

He began to read the paper, stopping ever few moments to throw potatoes at Dora. The little raven haired, brown eyed princess giggled and threw milk at him. He was saved (after a change in robes) by an owl from Hecate telling him he was already three days behind in paperwork and to get his quote, Brit arse over there, end quote. Billy was still half way through breakfast but promised to meet him later. 

"Just don't be late again." He warned. "Malachi will have your head for his trophy case." He tugged on his cloak and turned around to see Dahlia and Billy kissing over the coffee. Dora was more then content watching her television show. Picture perfect family… 

_They should be mine… _

He smiled mournfully and walked out of the house, never once looking back to the life he didn't own. He began his daily walk to "the office." The Southern sun was hot on his back and all around him the city was getting ready for another day. He stopped to pick up the Muggle daily news and read about the most recent news. Anything to keep his mind off the world he had left behind in that house. 

He couldn't stand days like this. It was these times that made life move along at a grueling pace. If he were honest with he would have to admit that he wasn't happy. But then he thought when had he ever been truly happy? 

_With Melanie… _

He shook his head, trying to overrule those melancholy thoughts. He didn't believe in happiness after all. Happiness was what came in short bursts of five seconds and disappeared just as quickly. Let people of an innocent fate enjoy illusions of happiness. He had worked to do. 

"Severus?" 

He turned, wondering and exploded into laughter. "Silas?" 

Silas Malfoy nodded and shrugged. He looked totally different then the aristocratic playboy Severus had spent so many evenings with, breaking hearts and bucking the odds. He was dressed in faded jeans, a wife beater and flip flops; looking more like that subspecies of Muggle: the beach boy. "I've been looking over all America for you." 

"I told you I was becoming an Auror." 

Something strange crossed Silas' face, a look akin to disgust and pure hatred. It was then Severus noticed the bandaged on Silas' left forearm. Silas recovered quickly. "I'm staying here for a couple weeks, my employer is scouting for new talent." 

"Who are you working for now?" 

A coy smile crossed his lips. "It's a private employer but I'll tell you what, I'm throwing a party tonight and all the gang will be there: Avery, Wilkes, Rosier, and Byron. Why don't you come?" 

"Ah, I don't know…" 

"Bring Dahlia if you're afraid of the hungry women." 

"We're separated." 

"Then let me help you out." Silas laughed. "Come on Severus, like old times." 

Severus shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He chuckled. "Fuck it." 

"Good. I'll have my man send over the directions and if you don't come…I'll send the Dark Lord after you. What are they called now?" 

"Death Eaters." 

"Yeah, them. They'll come after you if you aren't at this party." 

Silas' grin was infectious. Severus smiled back and saluted, "Aye sir." 

"Dismissed, then." The Wizard nodded and disappeared back into the bustle. Severus was still smiling. 

"Why not." He mused to himself. "This party could change my life." 

"You're tried Alex, admit it." 

Severus rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm tired but so is he." 

Van Ness shook his head. "Don't take him, let him go." 

"No!" Billy shouted. "Lex can get him if any man can." 

Van Ness didn't look as assured, "Positive I.D came in while you were in there. His name is Isaac Iverson. Has he confessed?" 

"Give me ten minutes." He demanded before entering in the small room again. 

Van Ness slammed four Galleons on the table. "Four says he doesn't get the confession." 

"Ten says he does." Billy countered. 

"Ten." 

"Deal." 

Isaac Iverson looked up coyly at Severus as he entered. "Howdy Navy robe…want to try again." 

"I got your name Iverson and more importantly I got my witness placing you at the murder scene of that Brazilian family. So either give me what I'll want…or I'll see you in that nice shiny new prison they built for you. " 

"You're lying." 

Severus smiled cruelly. "Am I?" 

"No one was there, not that survived that night anyways." 

"Her name's Missy. She's seven and hid under the bed when you came." 

Iverson turned an unnatural shade of gray. "But Jack said no one was there…the Ripper said…" 

"The Ripper lied, didn't he?" 

Malachi Smith entered in outer room where Van Ness and Moore were sitting. It was the main part of the holding chamber with a smaller room accessible only through a small door that melted into the wall where Severus was questioning the Death Eater. Malachi had Jude on his heels. The elder Auror looked grim. 

"Call Severus out." Malachi said. "He needs to hear this." 

It was the stillness of the room that concerned Severus when he entered. He was use to Malachi's visits and briefings but this was different. Somehow, this time things were different. Severus leaned against the table and waited for his superior to speak. 

"There was an attack half an hour ago." Malachi's voice, which had always been strong and deep, broke. "It was an ambush. They entered and killed everyone." 

"Who?" Van Ness whispered. 

"The British Minister of Magic. They killed him, his family and the entourage traveling with him. As you know, he was traveling to gain support for his war against the Dark Lord Voldemort. Fourteen dead. Five of them were Aurors." 

"We have reason to believe that it's the work of Jack the Ripper." Jude continued. "There's more: more then likely they received information from inside." 

"Severus where are you going?" 

"Get him!" Malachi ordered. 

Severus had entered the questioning room and had slammed Iverson against the wall. He punched the Death Eater in the stomach and as Iverson swooned, he kneed him and forced him back to a standing position. "Who's the spy, Iverson?" 

"Why navy…you're tense. Somebody die?" 

Nobody knew that he had the kind of strength he exhibited when he threw Iverson through the window. He was going to kill him if Jude hadn't pulled him off. Jude forced him outside. 

"Why did you stop me?" Severus demanded. 

"Not that way, Alexander. We can't do things that way." 

"How many Jude? How many have to die before we can do something about it? This isn't the first time they've done something like this. Two years ago, we were certain this Voldemort was nothing more then a child bidding for power and we did nothing. Then Muggles started dying and we played clean up. Then Wizards died and we've been playing the defense ever since. Now Aurors and Ministers have died. So when are we going to do something about it? The next time? Or the time after that, when?" 

"When the battle lines are drawn." 

"They've already been drawn, Jude! Drawn in blood over two years ago- we've been blind to them on purpose. There is a war going on we didn't even know existed." Severus laughed as a thought occurred to him. "And took fourteen dead today to wake us up. Voldemort has already allied himself to the vampires, the giants and an ever-growing number of Wizards. He's ready for war. When do we start?" 

"You want to do something Alex? Fine, find the spy. Find that son of a bitch who betrayed us to Voldemort, find him and kill him." Jude ordered. "But first, just mourn Severus. Just feel your pain." 

"Don't you Jude? I'm the Morning Star." Severus whispered. "I don't feel pain." 

"Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die!" Silas shouted over the din of the music. He saw Severus and smiled. "Good, I don't have to kill you." 

"It's not funny anymore." Severus interjected. He told Silas about the attack, which would not officially make it into papers till tomorrow evening. 

Silas listened sympathetically. "I'm sorry about that, Sev. But I'm a little bit more then thankful, I have someone like you protecting from the big bad villain." He smiled gently and poured him a drink. "Follow me. I want you to meet someone." 

The woman was tall, graceful and barely dressed. She was talking to Avery when Silas and Severus approached. It was like she sensed them coming because as they neared, she turned. Severus was floored by her beauty: pale skin, full lips and dangerous eyes the color of wine. 

"Severus Snape." Silas introduced. "I want you to meet Miss Jacqueline Eames." 

Author's Note: because of the lack of reviews with the last few chapters...I'm thinking of pulling this story. If you guys could give me an idea of whether of not to complete this story, I'd be so thankful. Yours, Erised.


	10. Lovely Demons

Author's Note: Since the replies were overwhelming and in Saerry's case, a little scary, I've figured out it's in my best interest to complete this story. Frankly I fear for my life if I don't, Saerry Snape scares me. So without further adieu the story which I hope to complete within the next week or so. Please Read and Review.

"Charmed." Jacqueline said, extending her hand. It took Severus a moment to recover and he did so messily, bumbling over his words and making her smile. She took him by the arm and winked at Silas. "I'm kidnapping your friend, Malfoy and if I'm lucky." Another teasing wink. "Don't wait up." She led him to the food. "So…you're an Auror?" 

"That's the rumor." He responded as he served her a glass. "And you?"  
She favored him with a cool smile. "I work for a private employer." 

"Ah," He said dryly. "The infamous private employer. He seems to like secrets doesn't he?" 

"He's a generous boss. He's gives everything he promises and more. In return we select few who have the honor of his employment protect his identity with our loyalty." 

"Is he a squid?" 

"Far from it. He's from a very old family through his mother." 

"Ah." He said again, rather dully. 

"You're not a fan of the game are you?" 

"No, I'm afraid I'm not." 

"Good." Jacqueline said. "Neither am I." 

He found himself smiling at her, "Thank you Miss Eames." 

"Call me Jackie." She said. "Or Jack." 

"Alright Jackie, so what do you do for this employer?" 

"I clean up after various tasks and I'm in charge of recruiting personnel." 

"For what purposes?" 

"Always the Auror, Mr. Snape?" She said softly. "For our own interests." 

"Fair enough and call me Severus." 

Those fine wine colored eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a smile. Severus felt a rush of warmth flow through his body at the sight of her smile. He felt himself smiling too and when she took his arm a second time, it was a tenderness he had never known from a woman. 

Morning peered through the windows and Severus shifted under the covers. The touch of silk on his bare skin filled his body with sheer delight and he opened his eyes carefully and moved slightly. An explosion of ecstasy erupted somewhere between his knees and his navel and he turned on side. 

And he met those wine colored eyes from the night before. Jacqueline smiled at him and traced his cheekbone with a delicate finger. He sighed happily before realization hit him. He scrambled to cover his naked body and asked the time. 

"Around three in the afternoon." She said, resting on an elbow and smiling at him through her thick raven mane. 

He sat up, red sheets covering him and began searching for his clothing. "My god, I have work." 

"You called in." She answered, with a wicked twinkle to her eyes. "Or at least Silas did on your behave." She moved towards his back and began to work the muscles gently. 

He stretched his shoulders and moaned. "I should get to work." 

Her arms circled around his waist and pulled onto her. She looked up into her eyes and that same secretive smile bore into his soul. "Or not." 

"Or not." He agreed. He stood and dressed in some of Silas' clothing, including a dark high collar jacket and outer robe. She told him he looked good in black. 

Jacqueline led Severus downstairs to the dining room where Silas was playing pool with his brother Lucius. Both men looked Severus knowingly and Silas even clapped. "Hungry?" 

"Very." 

"Rat." Silas called and a small pitiful creature dressed in a tea towel emerged with a tray of food. Severus leaned down and took the tray from Dobby as the Malfoy brothers and Eames watched with an odd sense of curiosity and amusement. Dobby bowed his head and began to bang it on a table (for making a Wizard do menial chores.) 

"It's no use trying to stop him." Lucius said lazily. "He'll do that till he looses consciousness and then he'll be okay." 

"If you're certain." Snape said as he placed the tray down. He grabbed a sandwich from the plate and sat down, watching them. 

Lucius twirled his cue between his hands. "Rank em, wanna play Severus?" 

He glanced at Jackie and smiled. "I'll break." He grabbed a cue to his liking and leaned downed and made his move. Then it was Lucius' turn and the gamed began. Fifteen minutes into the game: they were laughing and not paying much attention to the game before them. Silas was sitting on the table with his legs swinging over the edge.

"So Severus, never one to refuse a challenge, agrees to play shots with Sirius. Around one in the morning, these two yahoos have finally run out of liquor from both Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. So onward towards Hogsmeade." Silas was overcome by a laughing fit. "Long story short: Melanie and Scarlett find their beloved boyfriends in each other's arms in all their drunken stupor sleeping together on the stairs of Hogwarts! Now some pictures of this lovely union were taken and were soon circling around the school! I'm sure I have my copies around somewhere." 

Severus had turned his attention to chalking his cue and had a small begrudged grin on his face. "We united for a brief time to find and destroy those photos." 

"Tell Jackie about the Quidditch match!" Lucius grinned. 

"Sev was playing Seeker. It was the Gryffindor/Slytherin game…" 

It was near midnight when Severus finally walked up the stairs to his home. He stood on the stoop and studied the grains of the door. It had been nearly midnight before he decided to leave the Malfoy home and return. Jacqueline had seen him to the door and told him she had enjoyed their day together. He admitted he had enjoyed himself too. 

And he had. Being with Lucius and Silas had brought back happier times and times of power, prestige and fun. He remembered times when he had been the Heir of Akel Dama, a prince of England and the son of the morning. Now who was he? Alex, the Auror, married to a woman who didn't love him, tending to a child that wasn't his and following a code he didn't agree with? 

Severus wiped his brow and stared at the door before turning around and returning to Silas' never ending party. 

"Morning." Sydney said, looking a surprised when Severus walked through the door the next morning. "You alright?" 

"Fine." He lied, rubbing eyes too red and trying to overcome a headache from the alcohol and two day long party he had enjoyed with the Malfoy brothers and the intoxicating Jacqueline. 

"Well, come then." Sydney said as he straightened his uniform: a long navy coat with a high collar that was slim and finely tailored. He was wearing tall black riding boots over navy trousers. He slipped on his black gloves and brushed the lint from his rank insignia. Two gray and one black line adorned his cuffs. 

Severus was wearing the same style uniform with two gray lines on each cuff: signaling his status as Master Apprentice. Billy had one gray line showing he was still an Apprentice. He came out of the back room and Severus helped him straighten his shoulders. "Let's do this." 

They walked outside into a fierce summer sun and the funerals of the fallen Aurors. There weren't words to describe the funerals. An Auror's funeral was unique and stoic: as calm and impassive as the Auror lifestyle itself. 

"They met their fate like Aurors." Malachi said to the assembled. "And peace be with them as they go." 

"May the wind be ever at your back, dear hearts." Murmured an Auror besides Severus. 

Another spoke in Spanish. "Vaya con Dios." 

One, the fiancé of one of the fallen, struggled to maintain control as the coffins were lowered into the ground. Severus made his way towards the man who he knew as Chris and shook his hand. "She was an good woman." He offered. 

Chris raised his eyes to Severus and smiled. "Yeah, Sophie was wasn't she?" 

Severus looked uneasily when he mentioned one of the fallen Aurors by name. That wasn't done among Aurors. Once someone died they ceased to exist outside of private memories. Their names weren't spoken again. He met Chris' eyes. "I don't know who you're talking about." 

Chris looked hurt but nodded. "Right. That's not how we play this game. 

Severus nodded and excused himself but not before adding. "We'll get who killed Sophie, Chris. We'll get him." 

Chris nodded. "I believe you." 

Jude was waiting for Severus. They fell into step together and Jude put an arm around Severus' shoulder. "I got some news for you." 

"What?" 

"We've found Daniel." Time slowed to a grueling pace as Jude waited for an acknowledgement. None came. "He's here in America and we got a lead on the Dark Wizards here that support Voldemort. You have to choose which one to tackle first." 

"I've spent most of my life studying Daniel, he'll stay put for a while. Who's the contact for Voldemort?" 

Jude seemed to pause again. "We have reason to believe it's a group of British nationals that have settled here recently." 

"Names?" 

"Silas and Lucius Malfoy, Darien Avery, Evan Rosier and Reese Wilkes." 

Severus stopped in his tracks. "You're accusing the Illuminatti?" 


	11. Tempting of the Heart

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long. Please read and review. 

"Alex, you know them best. Tell me do I have anything to accuse them of?" Jude's voice was low but determined and Severus didn't like the tone. 

"I don't believe this." Severus said, laughing at the lunacy. He took a step away to fully get his bearings. "You're just like those Mudbloods in the Ministry, aren't you? Jude, we're Ascendancy. We're supposed to watch out for blood."  
"I am watching out for us." He said fiercely. "I'm making sure no one besmears our legacies." 

He made another laughing sound. "Sure, Jude. I believe you." Severus had never felt so disgusted with Jude before, with the entire Auror tradition. He had disagreed with it before but never had he felt so _shamed _to be called one. He couldn't believe the Aurors suspected the families. Families, that like his, had shed the blood protecting their filth. His parents and his brother had died because the Snape chosen to protect the Magical community. A community that now shunned his people. He turned and walked away from Jude, unwilling to look him in the face. 

"You betray yourself following them." Jacqueline said to him that night as she cradled his head in her lap. 

He chuckled, took her arm in his hand and began to kiss it. "Do I now?" 

"Yes." She said passionately. "You are a great man, Severus but you could be greater." Then, she added as an aside. "And by far more powerful." 

He was laughing and reluctantly agreeing. "I suppose all men could be greater but power must be tempered." 

"By what?" 

"By wisdom." He said slowly, considering. "Or by heart, by will…by a cause greater then yourself." 

"A cause you'd die for?" 

"If needed." 

"Why would you die for an ideal, Severus?" 

"Because you have to be willing to die for something. There has to be something on earth more important then yourself…or at least that's what you have to believe. You have to be willing to die for that or else why live for it?" 

"Is this an Auror's life? To live a life not your own, to be forever bound to a life without love, without family and even without friends? The Aurors who died today, you had worked with them for two years but did you ever know them?" He didn't answer. She leaned down and continued to stroke his hair. "It's like your living a life that isn't yours." 

Severus inclined his slightly and gave her a long, searching look. He wondered silently if that fear and uncertainty was written on his face. She had suddenly named his phobia as easily as she had teased him about his rigid mannerism. Jacqueline kissed him again. "But then again, what do I know?" 

He sat up and took her into his arms and kissed her harshly and with more passionately then she had ever known him to be. He guided her head down and laid him over the bed. He spread out her hair over the pillows so that it framed her face and accented her wine colored eyes. He stared into her eyes for a long time, memorizing each and every facet of her uncovered body. His hands worked they way over her body as his mouth assaulted hers. Let nothing matter but her, he thought to himself. He kissed her. 

"I love…" 

"Shhh…" She cut him off, putting a finger to his lips. "You never have to love me, you just have to be you. Strong, steady and completely and utterly free. Free to live and free to die for what you want, for what you choose…" She let him kiss her again. "Or free to kill…" 

Seasons changed and time passed slowly in the little corner of the world that housed Hecate Academy. Spring turned to summer and summer turned to fall and fall to winter Pandora turned two years old. Dahlia dyed her hair a darker shade of blond. Meanwhile, Billy, Sydney, Jude and Severus discovered the wonders of Muggle cinema: including something called "Star Wars." 

"That's not a moon…that's a space station!" Billy yelled as he pointed towards the full moon. 

Jude looked up and smiled. "No, that's a moon, the station is the one to the right." 

Sydney laughed and turned towards Severus but he was as always a world away. The man had changed months ago and became cold and private, even moody. Jude attributed it to the War and the others believed it. Of all the Aurors of the time, Severus was taking the deaths of his brethren the hardest. But certainty that was understandable. Severus had lived his entire life living under the shadow of death. It was something he had grown accustomed too seeing but he never seemed fully able to grasp the finality of it. Death, he seemed to believe, was something he could control and if needed, could even stop it. 

"Here they come." Jude whispered. 

Severus rubbed his neck paying special attention to two small scars below his ear. He called his uncle's kiss and some said it was his good luck charm. Indeed, Severus had incredible luck when it came to dealing with what the so-called Death Eaters. He had fast been dubbed the Miracle Maker again but this time it was by far darker reasons. He always got his man to put it cliquey. And now, as he and his fellow Aurors squatted in the darkened building watching the adjacent building. 

The building, where according to the reports, was the meetinghouse for Death Eaters. Severus leaned forward and narrowed his eyes to watch them. The Aurors were supposed to be only on reconnaissance so they couldn't interfere with Severus who had made it his business to know their names. 

Three people walked outside the brownstone apartment and pulled their winter cloaks closer their necks. One was easily defined as a woman in the evening light. The other two were men. One had pale blond that fell unto his shoulders and pulled back. Severus recognized him immediately. "Silas." 

The other man who was standing opposite the Malfoy brother was something he also knew. This man was young in the face, and incredibly pale. Short white hair and stubble from a barely there beard, covered a small face that still, despite all his years looked fifteen. The man who had been there that night when Severus forever lost his youth and innocence, who had forever taken it, that night at Akel Dama. 

Daniel. 

And the woman, the woman Severus didn't want to recognize even though he knew her. He knew every part of her, every facet and whisper of her movements. He knew and loved it. It was Jacqueline but Severus made sure he did nothing to show he knew. She did something very odd; she looked straight in his direction and almost smiled. He watched them until they all disappeared. 

"Did you recognize any of them?" Sydney asked. 

Severus was silent as he watched them. His mind was swimming, torn between his past and present. If he told Sydney the names he would betray his name and history but if he didn't. He watched Jacqueline's shadow, he thought about it. 

"No, I saw nobody I knew." 


	12. The Sacrifice of Angels

Dobby had waited on Mr. Snape before and he had always known him to be a blunt and passionate man but Snape had always been a tempered storm, a contained fire within a frail body. Snape had always been kind to Dobby except now when he practically burst into the Malfoy home. 

"Where are they?" He demanded, turning towards Dobby. "Where are they?" 

Dobby began to tremble. 

"Where are they; you little roach, tell me!" 

"Who, milord?" The elf mumbled. 

Severus picked up the little elf by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "Tell me." 

"Put Dobby down, Severus." Jacqueline said softly as she descended the stairs. She was wiping her hands with a soiled towel. 

Severus released the elf, which scampered towards Jackie. She smiled at Dobby and handed the towel to him. Severus noted it was covered with blood. She smiled at him with her clam wine colored eyes. She silk towards him and leaned forward to kiss him. 

Severus slapped her and the brute force his hand caused her to stumble. "You bitch." 

She nursed her bleeding lip and smiled proudly. "Well, good evening Severus." 

"You bitch. You work for him, don't you? Your private employer- you work for Voldemort!" 

"Lord Voldemort and yes, I do work for him." 

"You bitch." He cursed again. He wanted to swing at her again. He wanted to rend her limb from limb and destroy the memory of her. Furthermore, he wanted to stop feeling betrayed. 

Silas entered from the same bedroom Jacqueline had emerged from seconds earlier. Severus looked at him then to her. The feeling of betrayal increased. Silas smiled easily. "Ah, hello Severus. It's a little late for visitors but I'll have Dobby bring in some drinks." 

"I don't want everything from you." He said. 

"Nonsense, of course you want something." Silas said coolly. "Everyone wants something, that's what friends are for!" Severus set his jaw and watched Silas. The Malfoy brother favored him with one of his famous disarming smile. "You want Daniel." 

Severus looked at him with a mixture of hate and shock from his friend's treachery. "You work for Daniel." 

Silas laughed. "Correction: Daniel works for Lord Voldemort and I work for Lord Voldemort. Daniel proves himself useful from time to time and in return we kept him, and his followers well feed." 

"On whose blood?" He asked. 

Jacqueline smiled and wrapped her arms around Silas. "Aurors." 

"You bastards," Severus exclaimed, feeling the wealth of anger and rage. 

"Oh come on," Silas said, annoyed. "Severus for once in your life, live for yourself! Get out from the shadow of your brother and live your own damn life! Jesse died as an Auror years ago. Let him die!" 

"You don't know what your talking Silas." 

"The hell I don't. Admit it!" 

"You aren't an Auror, Severus. You've just been a ghost of your brother. You have been his ghost since you were five years old. And you know what, with us you were happy. As an Illuminatti, you were happy. You belong with us."  
"You're insane." 

"Look around and tell me the pleasures of sanity." Silas said simply. 

"You've betrayed me!" 

"You betrayed yourself, Severus! You betrayed your name and your House; once a Slytherin, always one. For once, be who you are, who I give you a chance to be: a god!" 

Severus stood mute. 

"Besides, as Auror you are already betrayed. There's a traitor in the Aurors, Severus and you know him too. In fact, he's already done more to you tonight then we could ever do and so, we'll give him to you." Jackie whispered. 

Severus lifted his head. "And in return for what?" 

"You decide." She said. "After tonight, you decide where you belong. But first, go home and kiss your daughter goodnight." 


	13. Judas' kiss

Severus Snape had survived werewolves, vampires, and manic dark art zealots and had never felt the grip of fear before. He had never felt the chill that runs up and down the spine and then settles somewhere in the pit of his stomach like a cold snake, waiting for it's chance to strike and paralyze you and leave you to die. 

Never had he felt fear until he saw the green light that was shot into the sky above the simple home that he had spent two years of his life in with a wife, child he held in trust for the man he sworn to protect and loved like a brother. 

The green light above his home scared him and filled him with the emotion he had never felt till now. The green light in the shape of a skull and snake, the symbol he had seen before and studied for the past two years. He had fought against the skull and snake that was now branded above his house and against his heart. 

"No." Severus whispered. He pulled together the last shreds of strength and ran towards his house. 

"Alex, don't go in there." Someone said, pulling him back. "Don't go in there, Severus." 

He looked in the direction of the voice but paid no attention to the voice. He was too consumed with feelings of betrayal, shock and pain. Pain beyond words flooded his entire being and he didn't when he screamed. "My wife!" He broke free, running towards the house. "My wife, Dahlia! Dahlia! Dora!" Two people he didn't recognize tackled him. "Let me go! Billy!" 

His mind was taking tally: seven Aurors, and four Hit Wizards. "Where on earth where the damn med wizards?" The Witches were already performing memory charms on the Muggle neighbors. His mind was spinning out of control. "Dora!" 

He turned his head and saw Jude helping another person pulled out a body on the stretcher. The arm was hanging limply off, it was that hand of Billy Moore, his partner. Following, could have only been the body of Dahlia Wyvern Snape, his wife. He closed his eyes and screamed. He closed his eyes. 

And when he opened them, he was in the doorway to Dora's bedroom. He made out the image of a sleeping child in the bed. Relief and joy flooded him. They had spared her. They had spared Dora. It was only a second later, the grim truth occurred to him. Dora wasn't breathing… 

Severus sat on the bed and pulled the girl into his arms. 

"We arrived too late." 

"Quiet, Jude." He whispered. "You'll wake her." 

"Severus…" 

"Shh...we mustn't wake her. It takes forever to get her to sleep. She's afraid, you see. She's terrified of the dark." 

"Why don't you bring her outside, Alex, remember? She was supposed to spend the night at my house. Bring her outside." 

"She's asleep." 

"Take her outside." 

Severus walked outside the building that had been his home for the most innocent and joyful of his life. He was walking outside, carrying what at the time was the best thing in his life. Dora looked like she was sleeping. The person who had killed her had been cruelly merciful. Dora had been killed by one cut to the neck, from left to right. Jack the Ripper had killed her and walking outside of the home for the last time, Severus knew who was the Ripper. 

Jacqueline was waiting for him. He met her eyes, still clutching the child in his arms. Sydney walked towards him and took the child from him. Van Ness' eyes were watering. Sydney was clutching the girl and kissed Dora's forehead. They all had loved her. 

Or had they? Severus looked at Sydney and then to Jude and wondered which one had betrayed Billy to the Death Eaters. 

And Severus felt, for the first time, the mind clearing power of pure rage. 

He was suddenly overcome by a deep-seated hatred for them both, for the Aurors all. He hated them more then he had ever had hated anyone. He hated them all. He hated the entire world and the filth and corruption of this entire magical world that he had sworn to protect. He had lived his entire life as the child of a legacy. He had been invulnerable his entire life and never felt what it was to live. He had sworn his life to the people who betrayed his family, who betrayed Dora. 

And Severus swore to Dora that she would not die in vain. He would ensure that the people who had let her die would pay. The pure blood that had ran through Dora's veins would be preserved, would be protected.

He would make sure every pure blood child would live in a world free from traitors like the Aurors and anyone, anyone, who tried to stop him would make sure Dora was not alone in the afterlife. 

He walked towards Jacqueline and kissed her. "Give me Daniel and give me the traitor." 

She watched him. "And what do we get in return?" 

"You get me. I am the Son of the Morning and I will ascend to the heavens and take the throne from the powers that be. I will make my throne where the ashes of the Ministry of Magic once stood. I will be the most high. One day, I will a king but for now I will be god." 

She looked at him and nodded. "It's a deal, Morning Star." 


	14. Rest in Peace

Severus Snape played his part at Billy, Dahlia and Dora's funeral. He said the words he needed to forever separate himself from the Auror named Alexander Rouge and soon he would forever part with his childhood fate of being his brother's specter. 

Daniel was waiting for him. 

They were in the Auror's graveyard. Somewhere among the rows and rows of perfect white markers that glowed deathly pale in the full moonlight was buried Kaiser, Sabine and the boy everyone called Jesse Snape. It seemed somewhat fitting that the ghosts of Severus' past would be laid to rest her. 

"Hello, little Prince." Daniel greeted him from his perch on a statue of an angel. He jumped off and drew a sword he had hidden. He rose up and rushed. 

Severus merely stepped aside and yanked the sword from the vampire. He swung Daniel about and ran him unto the sword, all the way to the hilt. He felt the cold blood ooze over his hand and he jammed it deeper. He looked down at Daniel. "You killed my family, you demon, I hope that hurts." 

Daniel's lolled his head back. He was looking past Severus. "Kill him." 

Severus threw Daniel off the sword and swung around. He met the face of his uncle and bowed. "Hello Uncle." 

Reiner was staring at him with a hurt look on his eyes. "Severus…please." 

"Don't beg, uncle. No man should have something that causes him to beg." Severus walked towards him, sword upraised. "I shall release you." 

The deathblow was quick and painless. Reiner stiffened as his hands instinctively went to his wound. He looked at his bloodied hand and with a shake of fear, he fell into his nephew's arms. He reached up to brush the face of his nephew, his son. As his fingers brushed Severus' eye; Reiner died. 

The last Snape who would die an Auror's death sank to the floor and collapsed against the grave marker. Severus watched his uncle die and felt his brother release him. Jesse, Kaiser, Sabine, Celeste, Mara and now Reiner; each Snape that had sworn their life to protect the Magical people were now allowed to rest. Severus had released them from their purgatory and in the process, he had released himself. 

He was now free to live his own life. His life that promised power, Jacqueline, and finally the chance to be what he determined. He felt the darkness inside of him swell and was amazed he wasn't afraid of it. Instead, he welcomed it. 

The Heir of Akel Dama looked up at the full moon and felt the cool night embrace him. He looked down at his reflection in the sword. Reiner's blood had made three lines over his left eye. It seemed fitting somehow that he should wear his past as he wrote out his future. 

"Are you ready?" 

It was Jacqueline's voice and he nodded. "I'm ready, Jackie." 

"Then come, my prince, and follow me to your new Master and journeys you could never imagine." 

As Severus took her hand, he was reminded of a Muggle poet, Yeats was his name, and journey he once promised. 

_Come away, O human child, _

_To the waters and the wild- _

_With a fairy hand in hand. _

_For the world's more full of weeping _

_ More then you can understand…_


	15. Come Away O Human Child

Author's Note: Yes, I know I said this was completed but I decided to add Snape's time as Death Eater and the reason everyone is dying to know: Why the Dark Prince changed sides. I hope you enjoy the addition of the next chapters and yet more of wonderful rantings. Many thanks to my muses and wonderful beta, and of course Babbitt. 

          And for shameless ads sake: Check out Amissa's story "Seal Your Fate" and my online journal!!!

Son of the Morning: Son of Perdition   

****

S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse

A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,

Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.

Ma percioche giammai di questo fondo

Non torno vivo alcun, s'i'odo il vero,

Senza tem d'imfamia ti respondo.

Chapter fifteen: "Come Away O human child…" 

          "Severus?" 

          Severus groaned at the sound of his name and rolled over in bed. 

          "Severus, get up!" He knew the voice already. It was his cousin, Christian Rinaldi, pushing him in his sleep to wake. Severus smiled to himself but did nothing. Christian finally got annoyed and pushed him from the bed. "Up Severus, now! Mother wants you."

          He looked up and smiled. Severus was nine, Christian was eight and they were staring down each other, waiting. For this battle, it was Severus who made the first move; he grabbed a pillow and swung it at his French kinsman.

          "Oh so that's how you'll attack!" Christian said, diving with a pillow in each hand. "Just like an Englishman, on your ass!" 

          The two cousins fought till the pillows burst and down feathers wafted down like snow. Devoid of weapons, they moved to regular wrestling. Neither boy was built for fighting but that didn't matter. This was part of the ritual of Severus' yearly visits to his mother's family in Lower France. 

          It was summer, and he was vacationing with family, his mornings were filled with the smell of bacon and the warmth of the sun on his face and his evenings were filled with his younger cousins, the twins Loic and Tristan playing Quidditch with their father. He'd play the Seeker. 

The Rinaldi clan was Severus' idea of family: Pascal, Lorraine and their children. As a younger boy, he used to imagine waking up to the smell of breakfast in his nose and having a family just like theirs. He used to pretend ladies' voices belonging to his mother Sabine, and her sister Aunt Lorraine. He heard men talking too; those must be his father Kaiser and his uncle Pascal. 

It was the one of the few times he was ever truly happy.  
          

But it was all a dream. And tossing in bed, Severus couldn't have prepared himself for the next years of his life, when these dreams would be his darkest secret and greatest fear. 

There was another moment that passed before him, more recent, and well beloved. He caught the briefest whisper of jasmine on the air and smiled, longing to follow it. He caught a glimpse in his mind's eye of her eyes that seemed to change color each time the light hit them. He saw the small, private grin that never seemed right on her until that moment when she was smiling at him, despite her best intentions. And he tasted rain on his lips.

It was the first of Hecate's warm rains. Summers were dry and hot and the rains that broke the season from summer to autumn were a welcome that no Auror could overlook. At first sign of the rain, Severus had taken Billy outside and done something they had been waiting to do since summer started.

They played in the rain.

And Sydney had sent her out to bring them back in from the rain. She, of course, had failed in bringing in them in and indeed before the storm had passed- somehow Severus had convinced Sydney, Jude, Gideon even Malachi Smith to joined in. 

But when everyone had gone inside to dry off, he saw she had lingered. She had looked around but hadn't seen him. When she was certain no one was watching, she had taken off her socks and shoes and had begun to wade in the small streams of slow moving, warm rainwater. Then she smiled. A small, private smile that caused the corners of her eyes to wrinkle. A smile never seemed right on her face till that moment. 

He fell in love with that, with her. 

Severus inclined his head and tasted the rainwater. It was salty. That was wrong- rain wasn't salty.

Tears were.

Severus Snape awoke and was at first confused as to where he was. Then the creature stirred beside him and he remembered. He was in France, Calais to be more specific. He was at Jacqueline's villa. Last night, he had lain to rest his uncle, his family's legacy, his career as an in Auror and every other plan he had for his life. So now, staring at the beams of sunlight, he began to wonder what happened now. 

He brought his hand up to his face and studied it. Last night he had held a sword and had used it to kill his uncle, for the sake of his family honor. 

He had killed the only man who had ever truly been there for him. And the reason had been laughable….for honor's sake. He had killed him because it was expected of him…

Snape hated that truth as much as he had loved Riener. 

And last night, he had killed a little piece of himself.

He could still feel the warm blood over his eye and felt his heart twist against the pain. He wanted to scream at the memory of last night but found himself mute as his muscles recalled holding his uncle as the fallen Auror slipped from his grip and loosened his hold on his own curse life. Reiner's eyes never left his. 

The soul beneath the terror died a slow, painful death. The last Snape to die and Auror's death went to his grave in not a shout but a whimper. There was no honor, no ceremony and no wake. Reiner had fallen to the cruel ground and in doing so, did nothing of worth. 

So what happened now, he wondered. He had killed his only family and had turned his back on the Aurors. His entire life had been in preparation for a life with the Aurors and now, having shunned that, he was at a lost?

Where did he go from there? 

He felt Jacqueline shift beside him.

          "Good morning, my beloved." She whispered.

          He smiled at her gently and leaned over to brush her cheek. "Morning? It's three in the afternoon."

          "It's morning to us." She let her eyes linger on his for a long beat. "Come on, it's time to go."

          "Go where?"

She gave him a teasing smile. "Through the Looking Glass." He frowned and the room erupted into pearls of her laughter, followed a few moments later by his.


	16. Waters and the Wild

**Chapter Sixteen: Waters and the Wild **

  
  


  
  


The small city was unimportant and could easily overlook but there was something friendly about it. It was one of those cities you could fall in love with and one day retire to. Severus couldn't believe that this peaceful Mecca could possibly double as the headquarters of a Dark gathering. Jacqueline took him to a narrow plaza that allowed the "good" city merged with the red-light District. He thought it was a nice little aside that there was a Catholic cathedral across from their destination. The building looked unimposing and forgotten by time. There was a sign overhead said in chipped paint that the name of the place was Looking Glass and he smirked a little a Jackie.   
  


She gave him another deep grin, "Told you."   
  


He entered and was floored by the sudden changed. Looking Glass was a bar, or more to the point, a Cabaret. The room was large but sparsely populated. It had a high vaulted ceiling and an old restored stage. There was an open door near the left hand corner of the stage and the faint threads of music could be heard. Plush, velvety couches and cushioned chairs and deep mahogany tables adorned the room. There was a group of three: two women and a man sleeping on the floor. A man at the bar welcomed them in and smirked at Jackie.   
  


"Bloody Mary, Jack?" He asked before turning towards Severus. "What's your poison?"   
  


"Coffee."   
  


The bartender made a face. "Irish Coffee?"   
  


"Give him coffee, Val. He's new. One for me too." Jacqueline laughed. The bartender leaned over and pecked her one the cheek. She hit his arm. "Not this time. Severus Snape meet Everyone-calls-me-Valentine."   
  


Valentine offered his hand, "Pleasure. Everyone calls me Valentine, you are?"   
  


Severus stared at the hand distastefully then looked up. "Pleasure's all mine."   
  


"Oh Tom's going to love you." The bartender remarked.   
  


"He's here?" Jacqueline asked as she added bits of Vodka to her coffee.   
  


Valentine nodded. "He's in the back with the rest. Silas is coming later; he had to stop over in London."   
  


"Who's the rest?" She asked.   
  


"McKenna, Raine, Malone, Lucius; he and Alistair are at it again. The Valkyries are here of course and I think I saw Tadeusz stumble in."   
  


"Any word on Imre?"   
  


Valentine became serious and shook his head. "Not a thing, Tom seems to think the Navy robes got him."   
  


"Unlikely." She said. "See ya around, Val."   
  


"Love ya Jack."   
  


Inside the inner room, the actor's lounge was crowded with plain clothed demons. Sitting on and around the main couch in various poses of comfort and playfulness, were eight of the most entrancing women he had ever seen. There was one who immediately caught his attention. She was elegant, stately and tall. She was a siren of ebony colored skin and haunting gold eyes. Her hair was done in tight braids all down her scalp only to fall over her shoulders. Her eyes met his with a cool watchfulness, nodded and then turned away. He called her the lioness.   
  


The woman next to the lioness was a woman, the only woman, who had her face covered in a Muslim style shawl. The cloth was of deepest blue and gold and complimented her soft brown tone. He wondered what she looked like under that shawl. A dirty thought crossed his mind and caused him to smile.   
  


"Best to forget her, Severus." Said a voice from behind him. It was Silas.   
  


Silas Malfoy was by default the lord of a powerful estate. The Malfoy were unparallel in business and easily one of the richest names in the Magical world. They made up for their lack of proud history with shrewd business sense. The eldest son, Gideon, was viewed as a prodigal child and never referred to as family. Lucius, the youngest, was beginning a promising career in the Ministry under an old family alliance and was rumored to be dating a belle. But Silas was the prince of his family.   
  


He was called an emperor of industry and would one day become the master of hundreds because of his savvy. The fact he lent himself too much to parties and drink meant nothing once you met his cool, charming smile. Silas made you want to like him and frankly Severus did. They had always been friends, the princes of the time, and paragons in their own way. At Hogwarts, they had been friends.   
  


Soon they'd become brothers. The vengeance of a Dark Lord, angels of sinister god and the archangels embraced. Severus pulled away first. He turned and regarded the room.   
  


"So," He asked Silas softly. "Which one is this new lord?"   
  


"Now what would be the fun of just me telling you?" Silas asked. "Want to take a gamble?"   
  


"Yeah Auror!" Shouted a man from the corner of the room. Severus didn't need turn to recognize the voice. It was Isaac Iverson, the man he had sent through a window. "Tell us if you can sense the man that will kill you."   
  


"You first Iverson." Severus promised. He began to circle the room, watching the faces of men he could have glanced over and gone on with life. But one of these men was the most powerful man in the world. Could that fact be written on the face? Could power, prestige, ambition and to a certain extent, wisdom; be craved on the features of the man? Instantly the image of a tall, strapping figure came into his mind. A man with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes dressed regally so.   
  


There was a man sitting backwards, with Jackie's arms around his broad shoulder that matched that image. He was strong and awe-inspiring with torn hard hands that knew work. He looked Severus in the eye and smiled.   
  


Severus shook his head and turned his attention to the man's opposite. Slender, lean and graceful, this man made sitting up look painful. He met Severus' gaze proudly. Not him either, no leader could be so smug.   
  


"Five says he misses." Iverson said loudly.   
  


"Ten!"   
  


"Twenty!"   
  


"Forty-five says he nails it." Jacqueline said with a smug grin.   
  


The betting quieted. Then a man near the back spoke. "I'll take that bet."   
  


Severus turned his attention to the man who had spoken. There was nothing special about him. A lean, practical frame for a man who didn't do manual labor but had known it. Sharp but simple green eyes that met Severus' gaze for a moment then pulled away, smiling friendly. Severus nodded. He then took a knee. "Milord."   
  


Tom Riddle laughed. He looked over to Jacqueline. "Smart boy, looks like I owe you forty five Galleons. Take a check?" He turned back to Severus. "On your feet man." He touched Severus' shoulder and rose from his seat to allow Severus to sit.   
  


"Oh no sir." He began to interject.   
  


Tom wouldn't have it. "Take a seat boy. I think we need to talk…"   
  


  
  


Although the first conversation with the elusive Riddle had been amiable enough, Severus was not quite sure he trusted or even liked him. The people in the room that night, with the exception of Iverson and Everyone Calls Me Valentine, proved to be the inner circle of the his followers. To everyone outside that room, he was Lord Voldemort.   
  


The people inside the actors lounge were demigods in their own rights. Most of them, like Tadeusz and the mentioned Imre had been leaders of Dark Arts cells in their respective countries, Germany and Hungry. They had formed alliances with Voldemort through the women known as the Valkyries. The Valkyries were distinct and deadly to look at. Those eight formed, to put it crudely, Lord Voldemort's harem. To think of touching one let alone do anything else with one was not only suicide but also torture. Jacqueline who was the unofficial leader was not a Valkyrie although she had taught them everything- including some rather painful means of death for any undersexed persons who thought they could have their way with them.   
  


Also important were the families involved in the underground kingdom. There was an alarming number of old families. Names like Galen McKenna, son of the influential Charms Master, Erskine Raine, the man who practically ran Diagon Alley, and his strongest ally Alistair.   
  


There was even a Hecate man in the mix; a former Kaga Companion named Eoin Malone. Severus had to admit, Tom Riddle impressed him. Kaga Companions were elusive, dangerous and enigmatic but renowned for their loyalty to the Ministry. The fact that Voldemort had swayed one to his side, attested to the Dark Lord's prowess.   
  


The couple Severus had seen asleep in the main room had been Natalie and Adrien Lestrange, who apparently had been recruited by the brothers Silas and Lucius Malfoy.   
  


Together those eleven (not including the Valkyries) made up the heart of Lord Voldemort's army. Severus felt an urge to liken them to the twelve judges of the apocalypse or the heads of the dragon. He remembered Reiner reading him those stories from the Muggles, Snape had always thought such men of power didn't exist. That was, until he looked into the eyes of each man and knew the face of evil. In their faces he could see darkness and a lust for evil and havoc. They were gluttons for destruction and hell. Death Eaters. That phase coined by some Auror Severus faintly remembered was brought to mind. Yes, he thought to himself. These people did feast on death.   
  


But in Tom Riddle, he saw none of that. In Riddle he saw a cool, calculating mind that saw death as just another means to an end. If another way could prove itself more effective then terror, Riddle could easily change tactics. He was almost passive in every regard but there was no mistaking his prowess or the respect he commanded from the Death Eaters. So Severus was confused on how to play Riddle. He also got the distinct impression it was he that was being played. That thought didn't sit well with him.   
  


Severus' best guess about the time was it was either early morning or late night when Riddle had called him aside for yet another meeting with Riddle. After Silas had moved the party to his home, the Looking Glass was abandoned expect for the two men. Severus lingered, taking a seat on stage with his back pressed against the curtain. Tom was pacing and his steps echoed eerily through the air. For a long time there was just silence between them as man measured man and plotted his tactics.   
  


Then Voldemort spoke. "You were an Auror."   
  


It wasn't a question and the tone was matter-of-factly, even inviting. Severus licked his lips. "I was."   
  


"Whom did you work under?"   
  


"Malachi Smith."   
  


"The great Unspeakable?" Another inviting question that didn't need an answer. "Did you answer directly to him?"   
  


"I did."   
  


"Where you his protégé?"   
  


"Some called me that."   
  


The tone changed from matter-of-factly to playfully curious. "Your name is Snape." Severus waited. "Your father and mother were Kaiser and Sabine, both Aurors."   
  


"So was my brother if we are tracing the family tree."   
  


"Ah yes, Joachim. How was he killed again?"   
  


"A man named Black killed him in a vendetta against my family."   
  


"What happened to him?"   
  


"My father killed him."   
  


"He had a younger brother too, didn't he? Sirius?"   
  


"Yes, we aren't exactly the best of friends."   
  


"Why so?"   
  


"With respect, milord, is this all you asked me to stay for? My life story?" Severus asked. He was annoyed but tried with all his might to remain calm.   
  


The other man smiled. "I wanted to see how far I could push you."   
  


"And?"   
  


"I learned." He turned and began to pace again. "But I don't understand something about you Snape. You are obviously highly intelligent, patient and collected. So why are you here?"   
  


"To protect my blood." He countered, deciding to toy.   
  


"You are not a zealot, Severus." Voldemort rebuked. "You know, even if no one else does, that wizard blood and Muggle blood are the same color. So why?"   
  


"What do you want to hear?" Severus asked.   
  


"Why a promising Auror, from an established family with no delusions of racial purity and what appears to be a sane mind would chose to ally with me." He prompted. "How do I know you aren't just spying on me fore the Ministry?"   
  


"You don't."   
  


"See my dilemma here." He turned. "Go back home to your family Snape."   
  


"My family's dead."   
  


Voldemort turned. He narrowed his eyes and waited.   
  


Severus lifted up his chin. "My parents were murdered by vampires because their superior officer gave them bad information about the nest they were sent to clean out. A renegade that should never have released murdered my brother. My wife, and child, partner and friend were all murdered by you, milord, but also because the Ministry that we worked for didn't want to cause panic in the populace so they tied Aurors' hands every chance they got." Severus could feel something begin to choke him but he continued. "Had it not been for a Ministry that is impotent and corrupt and so concerned with appearance and legacies, my family would still be alive and I'd be hunting you but that is not the caste. I am after one thing."   
  


"That is?"   
  


"Revenge." He said softly. "Revenge against the world that allowed people like you to survive past infancy."   
  


"I don't trust you, Severus. You know that right?"   
  


"Beyond a doubt."   
  


"But I believe you when you say you want revenge. So I'll give you that chance." Voldemort took a measured breath and released it. Severus waited, wondering if this was his end. Then Voldemort nodded. "Let's see how I can help you with that."   
  


"Against the Aurors?"   
  


"Good place as any to start."   
  


"And if I fail?"   
  


"You die."   
  


Severus shrugged lazily. "Fair enough."   
  


The Dark Lord smiled. "I knew I'd liked you."   
  


"Valentine said you would too."   
  



	17. Tempest's Fury

**Chapter Seventeen: Tempest's Fury **

Severus found himself at one of Silas' never ending parties. He was at the Malfoy mansion and the air was full of spices. Music was blaring in his ear and the sweet smell of expensive wine and tempting foods beckoned to him almost as strongly as the perfumed scents the laughing, attractive women. He made his way towards the main parlor, trying to slip into the overly crowded room. Somewhere over the din, he could hear Silas proclaiming, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die!" 

He was about to greet Silas when someone spilled wine on him. Snape recoiled, "You idiot!" 

"Sorry about that." It was the lioness. 

Severus took one look at her arresting gold eyes and his anger disappeared. He shrugged it off. "No, the fault is mine." 

The lioness smiled. "You're Jacqueline's newest catch."  


"Severus." She seemed amused by his name. He shrugged. "With the name like that you don't really have a lot of career choices." 

"Lucinda." The lioness introduced herself, giving over her hand. Her gold eyes were slightly glassy from the wine but her entrancing smile still won him over. 

"You're Valkyrie." He stated, amused by her. 

She nodded coolly. "You know what that means, no touching." 

He reached over and brought her face to his. Then, with as much tact and grace he could manage. He kissed her softly but meaningfully. He pulled away slowly only to feel Lucinda grab him by the nape of his neck and kiss him passionately. 

He was going to like it here. 

"NO!" The scream that broke through the air was desperate. Lucinda laughed a little and grabbed Severus' arm to led him into the circle. Silas was clearly in charge as he kept his arms stretched out to hold back the circle of men. Severus looked out at the faces of the playboys. In their eyes was sheer energy, a crazed excitement never seen before. It was a frenzied, barbaric and a little frightening. Severus could feel the heartbeat of the men on either side of him. He could feel their strength and will pressed together but barely contained. The sheer presence of the power engulfed Severus and beckoned to him like some siren's song, waiting patiently knowing he would come around in time. 

Another scream sounded, one that finally brought Severus' eyes to the center of the circle, to the cause of the energy. It was a woman, but barely that, clutching the remains of a dress. Severus tilted his head and stared at her. She would have been pretty if she weren't panicking for her life. Severus chuckled and rebuked himself for finding it all very amusing. But in a way, it was. 

She would back into the edge of the circle only to be pushed back towards the center again. As she backed into Tadeusz, the man met Severus' eyes and pushed her towards him. She shrieked before falling into his arms. 

She met his eyes. Hers were small and hazel but barely noticeable under her curtain of fizzy dirty blond hair. She had a weak face overall: common but not ugly. She couldn't have been in his arms for more then a second but she seemed to see something in him. 

"Please!" She shouted, clinging to his arms. "You've got to help me. Please! You aren't like them! Please!" Her last words were cut off by another scream. 

Tadeusz had his wand aimed for her back. He had barely muttered the word Crucio. 

Severus stood at once entranced and repelled by the sprawling animal on the floor. In a moment's time, the woman had digressed and become something brute and inhuman. He was amazed and intrigued by it all. The creature before him was not intelligent or beautiful or even real. She had become a toy of greater men to be enjoyed and discarded like on would a pet dog or some other dumb beast. He felt arms wrap around his. Lucinda edged closer, also watching the entertainment. He clapped his hand over hers and smiled. 

He awoke later that night gripped in cold fear. Lucinda stirred and turned over to keep close to him. He patted her leg and rubbed the tears from his eyes. All he could remember was that he had enjoyed the baiting as much as Tadeusz had. The euphoria of the night had entranced him, gripped him and pierced him. The night had awakened something brute and lethal in him. It had quickened some sort of transformation inside of him. 

The ease of the quickening and how quickly Severus had accepted it scared him beyond words. He was not a Death Eater! He was an Auror! 

His family's deaths hadn't changed that, it had only confirmed it, and he was still Alexander Rouge. Underneath all his pain and planning there was an Auror's heart and their code. There was a spy in the Ministry, feeding information to Voldemort and his Death Eaters about the Aurors. He reminded himself why he was there. He was going to single handedly find the traitor and deal with him. 

But was he winning to risk his soul to avenge his family? 

The image of the woman came to his mind's eye. Her hazel eyes seemed burned across his heart. He had done nothing to help her. 

Was he losing himself in this storm? He couldn't deny he was part of this world. He belonged to the Ascendancy as much as he belonged to the Aurors but the lines between the two and his loyalties to each were beginning to blur. He lived in a world of tradition and power where people age gracefully, outliving their humanity. 

He had been gone too long from the Aurors he loved. He had been gone to long from Hecate. He was beginning to forget who he was…these were uncertain times for him during which subtle distinctions blurred together: crime and play, genius and insanity… 

Honor and revenge… 

He shifted again, pressing even nearer to Lucinda. In the dim light, his lioness looked angelic even graceful, a sharp departure from the deadly, lustful woman that had adorned his arm earlier. He reached over and pulled her unto him. She opened her eyes, smiled, and wrapped her arms around his, falling asleep again. Reassured of her presence, Severus settled back and considered. 

No, he thought, they couldn't change him. He was an Auror. 

He was at his heart; Alexander and no one could take that from him. He had not abandoned the Aurors, just their weaknesses. An Auror's code was that no one should perish. It was an impossible dream but the purpose was to try harder to ensure each victim was the last. That's what he was doing. He was going to find the spy who had betrayed his family and him. Once that was done, he could return to the Aurors, to his life as Alexander. But until then, Severus would have to bury Alexander Rouge deep inside until he could reclaim himself. 

This deal with the devil wouldn't last forever. He would not be like that hazel-eyed beast. He would not be so easily conquered. He knew who he was. He was Alexander Rouge, after all was said and done, after the final curtain call; he was Rouge. 

He had been his brother's ghost, his family's avatar and his partner's guardian. But in one night, all that had been taken away from him. It had been stripped from him and all that had remained was Rouge. The only part of Severus' personality that he was certain was his and his alone. He would get his job done and return to the Aurors. But first, traitors must be dealt with. 

Curling into Lucinda's arms and content with his beliefs, Severus Alexander fell asleep. 


	18. What you leave behind

**Chapter Eighteen **

It was March. 

March 1, exactly four months after Billy and Dahlia and their two year old daughter had been killed, and it still hurt. Four months since Severus had last seen Hecate, Sydney, Jude, and... 

Her… 

God, he missed them. 

No…it's best not to think about such things… 

Snape pushed back his homesickness and returned his full attention to the world around him. It was still unsafe for him. Voldemort had been ever watchful of his lost Auror. Severus had continued to gain respect and remain alive, without divulging Auror secrets. 

But Voldemort was getting impatient and frankly so was Jacqueline. It was beginning to get dangerous for Snape to remain so ambiguous in his loyalties. As Voldemort pointed out deftly, he couldn't play on both sides. Snape had to admit, he admired Voldemort's prudence but worried that the Dark Lord was tiring of their little game. 

Luckily Silas had brought up Snape's talents with Potions and the Son of the Morning could get away with making poisons and antidotes for the Death Eaters. Alchemy Snape, as Silas called him, had his uses. 

"Bicorn horn, boomslang skin...see if you can find some knotgrass." Snape counted off the ingredients he needed replenished. 

Jacqueline made a face of clear distaste. "You and your potions." 

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He gave her a deep, collected smile. Jackie playfully nudged him. "Silas! Come help me get the mad scientist his boomslang skin!" 

"Coming, coming." Silas called. "Sev watch Pyxis for me." 

Severus nodded. He turned his attention to the busy store. He liked Diagon Alley. There was always business about, and always something or somewhere to hide in. Small corners and dark byways only added to the fun. 

"Uncle Severus, buy me this!" 

Severus turned his attention to Pyxis Malfoy, Silas' son whom Severus had dubbed 'Pixie boy' on account for Pyxis love for anything shiny and any mischievous act. At seven, Pyxis was a standard Malfoy. Small framed and quick, he had soft gray eyes, fair skin and golden blond hair. His mother was Narcissa Malfoy. She was trailing behind her son, walking with her brother-in-law Lucius. Severus chose not to notice Lucius' stolen looks of affection towards his brother's wife. 

"I'll buy you the world, Pixie but not a broom, not just yet." 

"You sound like dad." Pyxis chided, running off to find another treasure. As he retreated, he bumped into a passerby. Severus smirked before making an attempt at an apology, reaching down to pick up the discarded broom. 

"Never watch where y'all going, do you?" 

Severus looked up, taken aback by the voice from his past. "Sydney?" 

Sydney Van Ness gave him a small, private smile. "Hello old friend." 

The Auror reached down and helped Snape up. Both men exchanged a look of shock and affection. The Van Ness family had been Aurors almost as the Snape had been. That shared history had always made Severus and Sydney closer then they were to Jude and Billy. Sydney had been the closest thing to a leader of the squad and that weight of authority had quieted him. Severus had understood and respected that silence just as Sydney accepted his. It had been a mutual respect that had given birth to a deep friendship. 

Severus embraced Sydney for a small eternity that ended too soon. He pulled away and studied Sydney. The past months had not been kind. Sydney had lost muscle tone and weight. His shaggy dark hair was graying but his eyes were still alive, and ablaze with passion. The time apart melted away, and seeing Snape meant the world. 

"Have you eaten?" Snape asked. 

"I don't trust British food." 

"Neither do I." Severus said. "But there's a great ice cream parlor down the way." 

"Ice cream!" Sydney laughed. "I haven't ice cream since," His eyes twinkled softly. "Lead the way, Brit." 

"Pyxis!" Severus called. 

Lucius and Narcissa stopped him. Narcissa gave him a reassuring smile. "Go ahead, we'll watch Pyxis." 

"See you tonight." Lucius said. 

Sydney's pose faltered as he caught sight of Lucius. Snape caught it and reach over, grabbing his arm and walking towards the parlor. They found a corner near the back and slipped into the table, ordering. Sydney had the banana split and Snape, ever the purist, had a simple one scoop of chocolate and almonds. They spoke in low tones about senseless things first, about the gossip of Hecate, of Malachi's ever-present temper, the drama of Jude and his girlfriends, to whether or not Victoria Hawke and her life long lover, Albus Dumbledore would ever get married. It was only when empty ice cream dishes littered the table and Sydney was attacking his second serving of melted chocolate that Severus finally got the courage to ask about him. 

"And how are things there, Syd?" 

"Honestly?" 

"Please." He said, leaning back in his chair. "If I don't hear it straight, I'll go mad." 

Sydney exhaled and became ten years older. "The mole inside Hecate is doing more and more damage everyday. We've lost seven Aurors and four Hit Wizards to the Death Eaters because they were already waiting for them. There's talk of the IWC stepping in with new leadership. Can you imagine? A bunch of politicians trying to show us how to fight the Dark Arts?" He exhaled angrily. "The Ministries are getting nervous. England and Germany want us to be shut down, America is calling for the Kaga to begin taking a bigger role in the way things are run." 

"The Kaga?" Snape exclaimed. "What does Fay and Smith think about this?" 

"Smith is loosing his edge. He's getting tired and frankly…I'm worried about him Alex." 

Snape regarded Sydney coolly over the table, digesting the news. Hecate Compound was a fully autonomous entity. It assigned Aurors to work under different countries, under their respective Ministries but Hecate itself had the final say on the matters. It was the Compound that decided what was lawful and what wasn't. But the mole was compromising Hecate's sovereignty, showing the world that Hecate could no longer function without outside leadership. If the International Wizardry Confederation forced Hecate to bow to their will, Hecate would lose most its power. He might not have agreed with Hecate tying his hands with the Death Eaters but he feared what untrained, scared politicians would allow. 

Just like the matter with the Kaga Companions. Severus had never quite agreed with their existence but part of him understood they were a needed evil. The Kaga were witches and wizards who are trained to assume another's identity in instance of death, disappearance, or other extreme circumstance. 

Snape himself had dealt with them on a regular basis in Hecate. He was even friends with the leader of the Kaga, a man everyone called Auberon Fay and he had even took one as a lover, which was not uncommon. The Kaga's connection to the Aurors was legendary. They often worked side by side and romantic relationships were almost as common as the assumed names. Snape smiled gingerly, thinking of his companion, inhaling and briefly missing the scent of Jasmine before becoming aware of Sydney's eyes on him. 

"She's fine by the way." Sydney whispered, reading his mind. He turned back to his drink. "She's still Malachi's familiar and we talk everyday." 

"Tell her…" He began to speak but thought better. It did not do to dwell on dreams. He looked up and smiled. "Call her Angel for me. How's Jude and Chastity?" 

"Ah, the Remington clan, they're doing great." 

"Send Chastity my love, alright?" 

"I will, I promise." 

"So who are you here with, Syd?" He asked. "I doubt you'd come to Diagon alone." 

"I came with Amissa. She's picking out a dress and doesn't trust anyone but the tailor here." 

"Why so much fuss over a dress?" 

"Because it's going to be a wedding gown." Van Ness said, sheepishly. 

"Are you serious?" Severus smiled. "Oh Sydney, I'm happy for you. Congratulations." 

"Thank you, but that's another reason I'm here." He looked up earnestly. "I want you to be best man, please." 

"Syd, you know I would have loved too…but right now I'm working on things. Important things and it could be bad if I'm seen…" 

Again Van Ness seemed to read his mind. "With Aurors? Is that why you're hanging around Lucius and Silas Malfoy?" 

"Don't start, Sydney." 

"You read the reports the same as I, Alex and you know them better. Tell me the truth, why are you keeping company with them?" 

"Who's asking the Auror or Sydney?" 

"Both." 

"I don't have to answer either." 

"Severus, listen to me. I'm worried about you. Come home, back to Hecate." Sydney rose with Severus, tugging his cloak on. "You _know _what Silas Malfoy is, even if we can't prove it yet."  


"Aw, Syd, you're worried for me, I didn't know you cared." 

"Don't be coy with me Rouge." He said sternly. "Look, you're playing a game with people who are older and wiser then some punk 20 year old who thinks he a god." 

"Afraid I'll dance with the devil?" 

"You are dancing with the devil, and you know what? He doesn't change for you, in fact, he changes you. And mark me Severus because you will get tainted. Are you willing to make that gamble?" 

"I already have." He shrugged on his coat. "See you around, Sydney." 

"I lost them too, you know." Sydney said suddenly. "I lost Billy, and them too. So did Jude and her. You weren't the only one." He sighed. "And I can't bear to lose you too. Please Severus, I'm begging you. Come home." 

He smiled at him. "One should never have anything worth begging for Sydney." He tapped Sydney on his cheek. "That none perish, remember?" 

Van Ness pulled him into a tight embrace. "Just make sure you don't perish, ok?" 

"You won't lose me, I swear it." 

"I hope so." 

Snape bowed slightly, paid the tab and walked away from the ice cream parlor. He was unaware of his friend's eyes following him down the street till he was lost behind the waves of milling people. 

"I'm getting too old for this crap. I need to retire, go buy some plot of land in Utah and raise Granian horses and chickens." Sydney 's voice could be heard down the hall and Jude could tell from its tone and his volume that Van Ness was dead drunk. "That's it! I'm leaving! Where's Amissa?" 

Jude shook his head, pouring two glasses of Whiskey, one for him and the other for Sydney. He took one in his hand, downed it and had the next raised and waiting for Van Ness to when he entered. "Hard day?" 

Sydney sank into his chair. "I saw Severus today." 

"Alexander?" 

He nodded. 

"Well? Where is he? How is he doing and most importantly, when is he coming home?" 

Sydney leaned forward and buried his head in his hands "I don't think he is." 

"Merlin," Jude exclaimed. "Are you sure?" 

"He was with Silas Malfoy. You've read the reports regarding him same as I have." Sydney snorted angrily. "Same as Severus has." 

A long pause. "Does he know about the investigation…about what we're facing over here?" 

"He knows about the IWC moving in and the Kaga but no…not about us." 

"Sydney, you should have told him." 

"And what was I going to say to him? Oh yeah, Sev by the way not only did you lose your family, and partner but the IWC and Internal Services suspect you of being the mole and that everyone who knew you from your old school-mates to your superior officer and his Companion are under investigation because of guilt by association? Oh yeah, by the way, I'm also facing Azkaban because I won't denounce you?" 

"So, you still believe he's innocent." 

"Of course I do!" Sydney exploded. "Alex is my friend, my partner. I trust him with my life. I can't believe it." He exhaled, his shoulders slumping. "I didn't want to loose him." 

"What if he's already lost?" 

"Don't even think it." 

"Oh like it hasn't crossed your mind?" Jude asked suddenly, looking angry. He rose from his seat and leaned heavily on his knuckles. "Van Ness, open your eyes and think! Billy is dead. Dahlia is dead. Dora is dead. And somehow magically he's the only one from that family still alive?! Where was he that night? You read the reports concerning their attack, hell you wrote them and you knew Dora! She was afraid of the dark, afraid of strangers. The house was sealed. How could Death Eaters enters the house with all those safe-guards and how come Dora never cried out?" 

"I don't know…" 

"Don't know or won't face it?" 

"Fuck you, Jude." Sydney said, flexing his fist as if ready to strike. "Snape isn't a traitor!" 

"Look at Dora and tell me that!" Jude screamed passed he's tears. 

"I will have no more of this." Sydney shouted back, tearing pass the desks to stare down Jude. He looked ready to kill. "You will not accuse him of this." 

"Then, why isn't he here?" Jude countered. He looked worn, tense and tired. "Why isn't he here to defend himself? Why isn't he here to mourn or be there for his squad?" 

"Shut your mouth, Jude or I'll do it for you!" 

"Are you going hit me now? In defense for a man who didn't even care enough about his squad to stay when they needed him most?" 

"Van Ness! Remington!" Barked the voice of Malachi Smith. "At ease, now." 

Both Aurors turned towards the door where Malachi stood, looking fierce and deadly. There was a woman behind Malachi, dressed in the slate gray uniform of a Kaga Companion. She was resting against the wall, looking placid. Malachi strolled forward, stepping between them. "Enough of this. I've just come from Hawke's office. She's been meeting with Fay. They've come to a decision concerning your squad, and believe me when I was against it but I have no choice but to obey." 

"What are you talking about, Malachi?" Van Ness asked, eyes narrowed in distrust. 

"A Kaga Companion has been assigned to replace one of your squad members. I'm sorry." 

"Who?" 

Malachi turned behind him and motioned to someone waiting outside the door. A man entered, looking like a ghost come to visit. He wore his hair dyed black and shoulder length, accenting his sharp jaw and incredibly intelligent brown eyes. He was already wearing an Auror's uniform and his movements were perfectly honed to resemble the man he was replacing. For a moment, he merely stood there, waiting. 

"You're shorter then Alex." Sydney deadpanned. "And his eyes are darker." 

"The height we can't do much about." The Kaga answered. "But a simple charm will correct the eye color." 

Jude was frowning. "What's your name?" 

"Alexander Rouge." 

"Your name before you were assigned." Sydney tilted his head. "Something Hecate…what was it?" 

"Actually, I'm not full Kaga. I chose to become one. My name before I underwent the training was Jean Andre Lafayette. In fact, I went through training with Severus." He smirked slightly. "Gave him his last name." 

"Charming." Sydney hissed. He looked at Malachi. "Don't want to play nice with this one, send it back." 

"Behave." Malachi countered. "His assignment was beyond my control and your orders are clear. Help him in anyway possible. I'll see you in evening briefings." Malachi turned and left, followed closely behind by his familiar. Sydney and Jude turned back to the Kaga and watched him for a long time. 

"I'm never calling you Alex." Sydney said curtly. "Other then that, welcome to my squad. What's left of us anyways…" 

"Glad to be here." Lafayette remarked and pulled up a seat. Jude returned to his and poured him a drink. 

A cool midnight air greet Jude as he pulled up his collar and waited for the devil to show up. Soon enough, he saw the image of a cloaked figure, walking towards him. He sucked on his cigarette for courage. As the figure approached, hands went to the hood and removed it to reveal the face of the intoxicating Jacqueline Eames. She smiled at him and extended a hand that he kissed. 

"You said you had information for me, Remington." She said, softly. "What is it?" 

"You said you wanted to know if they did anything involving Severus' departure from the Aurors. They did. He was replaced, his identity was given to a Kaga." 

"I thought those creatures were only brought in case of death only." 

"Apparently, Hecate believes he's as good as gone." 

She lifted her head and blew into the air, watching as it froze on the air. "He won't take that kindly, the Aurors are his life. All he's been preparing to do since he was a boy." She smiled. "It's going to destroy him." 

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Jude asked scornfully. "To destroy him?" 

"I don't like your tone, Remington." She whispered, smiling. "Don't tell me you're getting second thoughts?" She laughed. "It's a little late to be a good guy, Jude." 

"Shut up Jackie." 

"Don't try and start the right thing, Remington. You've not the practice." 

Jude ignored her and pivoted on his heels, walking back to his home. Jackie watched as the man crushed the cigarette under his heel before continuing. She didn't trust the Gryffindor. He's conscience was beginning to bother him and that mean she was soon going to loose her mole within Hecate. She doubted he would betray her anytime soon but if his better judgment kept nagging at him, he would soon begin to seek redemption. She couldn't allow that to happen. It would deprive Voldemort of his chief spy. 

Still, she thought with a cool smile. Perhaps Jude could prove useful. If he did decide to "return to the light," she could easily reveal him as the man who betrayed Severus' family. That could prove to be a final push for Snape's metamorphosis from Auror to Death Eater and perhaps something…more. 

"Good home, Jude." She whispered, contently. "And kiss your loved ones goodnight." 


	19. Where's the Happy Ending?

** Chapter Nineteen: Where's the Happy Ending?**

"Stop squirming, Sydney." Amissa Moon ordered playfully. 

"I would if I could get this damn coat to hang right."

"Let me do it." 

Sydney obeyed. His uniform was black and simple, not lending itself to any form of decoration or adornment. It was not designed for such purposes. This was an Auror's set of fatigues, war dress and Sydney was making a statement by wearing them into his interrogation. He refused to wear his class A's (the rich Navy robes Aurors were famous for) or his dress (a black and blue set reserved for parties and state dinners.) 

He made it known he was viewing this as a war.

He watched skill hands run over his chest, folding the robes of his uniform to rest properly over his strong frame. They ran over the row of buttons fastening them, then sliding them down to straighten and soothe out any wrinkles. 

"So," He attempted to smile. "Can I see you after this?"

Amissa Moon glanced up at him from under her frost color bangs and smirked. "Why Mr. Van Ness, are you are attempting to compromise my virtue."

"Depends, would it work?"

"It might."

Sydney slid his hand into her hair and leaned down to kiss his fiancée. 

She was easily on of the most powerful women in Hecate, the Minister of the entire Runes Division of Hecate's armies. Younger then Sydney by some years, they had met when she followed Dahlia and Severus out a year after they had come. She was the daughter of the famous Runes Master Tristan Moon, a man Sydney had grown up admiring along with the other Illuminatti legends, including the Snape brothers, Kaiser and Reiner, and the Minister of Magic Byron. He had known them as heroes of his youth but in Amissa he had known a love never experienced before. There was something powerful about their love, something secretive and strong and beyond all words. When he was with her nothing under Heaven could be at fault, and death had no sting for him. 

Theirs was a storybook love.

And he would do anything to protect her from heartache. He felt the need to do something to shield her from this hell…

And Sydney felt a swell of pain that caused him to pull away.

"Sydney? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He lied. He closed his eyes. "Nothing at all…I can't be late." 

"I'll be waiting for you afterwards, alright?" She said, reaching over and touching his arm. "Just come and find me."

"Nothing will stop me." He promised. He turned away and began to wall down the corridors towards the offices he knew so well.

Sydney, and all the members of his squad were officially called Auror Unspeakables, but a more apt name for them would be Interrogators. They had a certain stomach for doing deeds that were better left unsaid and in some cases, like Severus, Unspeakables had a deadly sort of panache. If this was just a stronger stomach or more sadistic will, no one could tell, but as Sydney entered the room where his fate would be tried, he decided he liked being on the other side of the table better.

The room was small and sparse, and painted a cream with a nondescript blue carpet and one overhead light that leered down. There was one large table, four chairs and a pitcher of water and two cups set out. The two chairs facing the door were occupied by two people, one male and female.

The man was Ellis Pearse, the International Wizardry Council's top spy hunter. Officially he held the rank of an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries but he held no loyalty to department or country. He was famous for his ease and prowess when it came to finding spies and moles, known for his soft-spoken voice but poisonous command of words. He held no love for Hecate or Aurors and was even said to harbor a fierce distaste for both.

And today he was going against a Hecate prince, Sydney Van Ness. 

It was going to be a good day.

Beside him was a Kaga Companion he was told to call Sanyu Hecate. She was in charge of personnel at Hecate Compound and answered only to the Headmaster himself. She could make or break careers and lives with a nod of her head. She was cold, calculated and inhumane when it came to these choices.

Today, she was out for blood. 

"Who are we seeing first?" Ellis asked softly.

Sanyu consulted her files. "KC9017, and Van Ness."

"Ah, the whore and the commander." He chuckled to himself. "Nice game."

Sanyu looked up just as Sydney entered the room. She picked up a quill, inked it and in her softest voice whispered to him. "Happy hunting."

"State your name, rank for the record." Ellis said, as he picked up a quill and began to write. 

"Patrick Ness, Auror at Arms."

"Your real name."

"Sydney Van Ness."

Just then the door opened and admitted a woman, about twenty years old and black hair pulled into a bun. She was wearing the slate gray uniform of a Kaga Companion and she walked in crisp, precise steps that echoed on the hard floors, announcing her presence. As she came closer the light revealed bronze color skin, gray eyes lined with green and an angular face that gave the deception of appearing European. Although not stunningly beautiful, the woman could be called graceful, as one would call a swordsman's hand graceful in combat. 

This was Alexander Rouge's so-called whore. Ellis glanced up, met her eyes and looked down quickly. "State your information for the record."

"My name is Erised Hecate."

Sanyu glanced up at her and narrowed her eyes. "Unassigned Companions are not given legal names, state your serial number for the record. That's an order."

"KC9017." The woman replied in a voice devoid of emotion. "They call me Erised Hecate."

Sanyu licked her lips and made a sound akin to disgust. She turned back to the papers. Sydney reached his hand under the table and grasped the woman's hand. He smiled at her but the Kaga gave no sign of recognition. 

And that was Erised Hecate. She was the Kaga Companion of his superior officer, Malachi Smith and probably the only person alive who could order him around. She had been his aide and bodyguard since she was sixteen but by that young age had already established herself as one of the foremost Companions in Hecate. 

Passive in her appearance, she had never allowed herself idle hobbies or casual activities and had always been impassive and aloof to the everyday occurrences or the little unrehearsed dramas of life. Some described her rightly as cold especially when met with her formulated gaze she always used- be you friend or foe. It gave the chilling impression that she could see pass you, through you and in a moment, if she chose, the ability to destroy you. She was fiercely devoted to her Kaga training and to Malachi and held little regard for anything outside that sphere.

Severus Snape had said she was a like a Guardian Angel who would protect her charge even as heaven and hell fell to ash around her. She would exist in chaos and stillness with angelic peace. And that peace in battle, he said, became delicate, musical and deadly. As she fought, she mirrored a viper's methodical dance, matching rhythm to rhyme as she attacked.

She looked like an Angel and had a serpent's heart. 

They had shared something, that much was true, but what was hard and indefinable. Not love, not exactly, for neither of them fully understood love. They had a sort of acceptance for each other, an admiration that in time had grown into respect, that in turn had grown into to something undefined, something beyond reason, or rhyme. 

They had said it was even beyond hope.

But that time was gone, and no one knew that better then her. It wasn't a sad thought for her, she was someone who didn't feel fear or pain, love or joy. She was someone who saw the world not in black and white, but in the shade of her gray uniform.

She was simply Erised Hecate, Malachi's Guardian Angel, and Severus' Ashwinder and to everyone else that her knew her best, she was simply Ari. 

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Ellis said softly. "Mr. Van Ness, can you tell me about your squad…"

Hecate was a city besieged and no one could tell if her greatest danger was from within or without. A new darkness was looming over the entire world, caused by a Dark Lord named Voldemort and his ghostly followers who carried names like the Stranger and the infamous Jack the Ripper. The underworld itself was in chaos, the death of the powerful clan leader Daniel had thrown the vampires into civil war allowing alliances to be formed among rouge werewolves, other changelings and dark arts cults around the globe. Voldemort was creating an army and it seemed only Hecate stood in his way. 

But Hecate was dying from a Judas kiss. Somewhere within its walls laid a mole, someone who was feeding information to Voldemort and making Hecate follow smoke and mirrors. And the venom of Ellis and Sanyu was seeping through Hecate's halls like a poison, casting doubt on friends, turning brother against brother, and driving warriors to their knees. Those who rebuked this witch-hunt found their voices silenced by transfer, reassignment, or worst- imprisonment. If the mole was not discovered and soon, Hecate would be lost.

And a war the likes of which never seen before would ensure. Those closest to the storm could already hear the distant thunder and raging winds of a tempest about to break.

"Severus? It's a little late to be out, don't you think?" Silas Malfoy asked as he crawled out of the window and shuffled to Severus' side. He reached inside his pocket and offered him a cigarette. "Why don't you come inside?"

Snape was on the roof of the Looking Glass, lying against the sloping roof and staring out into the ocean of stars above him. He was small compared to the vastness around him and perhaps somewhere deep down inside of him, he thought that maybe he could become lost in the heavens if he waited patiently enough. "She would have been three this year, this upcoming May. We were going to take her to England, to meet her grandmother." He closed his eyes, "And I was happy."

"What?" Silas asked.

Severus shook his head, and sat up, folding knees under chin and speaking so soft that Silas had to strain to hear. "I was happy, at least…most of the times I was…there were times I even felt whole."

"Don't trust happiness Severus. It's a fool's paradise."

"Fine, content, is that a better suited word?" He asked, "I had a caused I believed in and people I loved around me. I was under one of the most important men in Hecate. And occasionally, I had someone to lie beside at night. Most days that was enough too. It wasn't hard for me to believe in the flawed caused because I wanted it to be true. Do you know what that's like, Silas? To believe in something with all your heart because you know that maybe it's imperfect but it's worthwhile? Do you know what it's like to have people worth dying for around you and knowing they'll do the same? That's loyal, Silas, that's loyalty unlike anything you've ever seen. Here, things are too…common, and the games are old." Snape shook his head. "The Illuminatti has played too long and have forgotten the real stakes of the game. I played everyday, I have the scars of those stakes. Three years Silas. I was with the Aurors for three years and I was really happy."

Somewhere during his speech, Silas had crept over and put his arm around Severus. Snape leaned into the embrace, desperate for some tangible touch of sympathy or love. It didn't occur to him that he was looking to a viper for safety. Silas was watching him with keen eyes and, having detected weaknesses, sought to exploit it. 

"Three years of fighting…and you're tired." Silas whispered. "But not beaten, you're not defeated yet. You're here because you want revenge…because the Auror demands justice. That's good. Let it be but be patient, it'll come."

Severus looked up and smiled at Silas. It was real and sincere trust, and something Severus had become accustomed to sharing in three years. He was taking for granted that he was no longer among those few, scarred, and proud that hid sins and humanity behind Navy robes. Snape himself had done it. 

One could only wonder what new object would hide himself now.

"Come in." Silas said. "I want to show you something."

Snape frowned playfully but followed him into the Looking Glass. There was music playing from the make-shift band in the corner and various women met with various men and enjoyed the never-ending party. Valentine was at the bar, spinning, mixing and pouring drinks to keep spirits high and morality low. The bartender smiled at them, and tossed one tumbler around his hand, pouring Silas' trademark drink. Silas gave Snape a brandy and pulled him to a corner of the room, pointing to a woman that was standing with Eoin Malone, apparently enjoying the man's company.

He had seen the woman before, admired her beauty but hadn't really thought about her since. Her name was Kaleigh but he forgot exactly how she knew Eoin or was involved with the Death Eaters. Silas stepped to his side and spoke softly into his drink. "Do you want her?"

Snape glanced at him. "Wouldn't you?"

"Take her then."

"And if she wouldn't have me?"

"I didn't say ask her, I said take her."

There was a moment between them as the thought sunk in. Silas laughed first. "Oh come on, Severus. It's not like there's any wrong being done. She's one of the consorts…it's a hazard of the job for her." Silas sipped his drink. "Besides, there's nothing quite as pleasant as stolen goods."

Severus stared at Silas and considered this for a long time. He licked his lip and downed his drink. "Excuse me." 

Silas watched him and Kaleigh for a while until Severus motioned to somewhere quieter where they could 'talk.' He caught Jacqueline's eyes and lifted his glass to her. Jackie smiled but said nothing, turning back to McKenna. Silas leaned back against the bar and twirled the glass around in his hand. 

Severus would be harder then he thought. Men who believed in something were always harder to destroy, because they had something that could change the tide of a battle or bring strength where none existed...

Severus had hope.

And that could prove deadly.

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in so long but my Beta has gone AWOL. Anyways, kudos go to my friend Arok, who owns Amissa Moon and Galaxy Quest who gave the chapter it's name (no one ever noticed that Sev's middle name was the same as Rickman's char in the movie? =) ). Sorry for the lack of Severus in his chapter but it's showing you all that was left behind. As for the Ari, she was formed during Role Playing and because I became attached to her, I decided to include. As for her name, call her Bob for all I care, just keep an open mind for her. Hope you enjoyed it, leave a review


	20. Make it Better

**Chapter Twenty: Make it Better**

"Sydney, help me!" Sydney Van Ness closed his eyes and tried to block out the anguished voice. He slouched forward and gripped the corner of his desk, straining to stop the ringing in his ear. He longed to breath but it caught in his throat and the screaming wouldn't stop. "Sydney, I can't do this anymore. I can't play this game…I'm tired…so, very tired. Please, forgive me for giving up but I can't do this. Not anymore. I can't fight…" 

Sydney closed his eyes and gripped the desk harder, till his knuckles turned white. He knew the voice by heart now, just as he knew he couldn't answer it. It was Severus' voice and in his mind's eye, Sydney could see the man stooped over and speaking in choked sobs to a man long since dead. The Severus of his vision was many years older then the youth Sydney had trained and the man's eyes had long since dimmed with sorrow, and shoulders long since sunk with burden.

"Sydney, I could use some help here…" 

Sydney heard him scream in a voice that sounded pained beyond words. "Billy, please understand…I'm sorry." The sound was too animal, too base and intense that no human could produce such a damning noise that shook the hearer to the soul. It was a cry of the damned and it tore Van Ness apart to hear it. "Forgive me!" 

"Alex," He gasped, holding his desk for some bearing on time and reality. But another wave of emotions flooded his being and he felt cold metal against his skin and saw a mask of the purest ivory marred only by three slender scars. "Alex, no…"

And as suddenly as the visions had begun, they ended and Sydney was left reeling. He straightened himself and took long, steadying breaths to calm himself. His heart stung from the sound of the beloved voice as pained and he so unable to stop it. 

Not that he could stop it. It hadn't happened yet. Those words that rang through his ears were not yet spoken, not yet earned.

And perhaps that was the most damning part of it all.

Van Ness was a Seer, one of only a dozen naturally born world-wide. People with the true gift of the Sight were about as rare as Parselmouths, or Lycoan hearts and Hecate had made sure seven of those twelve were keep safe and well within its walls. 

He had trained secretly under the Diviners but never to use his gift, only to contain it. Like most natural born, it had appeared in his youth, when he was unprepared. In life, it made him appear shy and introverted. This had led to a quiet and reserved nature and a stern reputation that alienated most. Alexander had accepted it, as did a few others but most simply strayed away from him and for the most part, he was content with that.

But he missed Alex. More then words could say he missed him. 

They had been close, almost brothers, and this intimacy had been birthed wordlessly. This wasn't to say that Sydney wasn't close to Jude or hadn't been with Billy but there was something more with Alexander. 

Among them, only Severus had seemed to understand the solitude that Sydney's gift had demanded. 

And only Sydney had understood the darkness and discontent that stirred in Severus' heart.

Sydney sighed and twirled the wand between his fingers, quiet and reserved as always. Among the Sight, he was known as a pre-cognitive touch-know, and simply put it meant visions of the future came to him by touching objects or people. The wand was Severus', and the visions were of things to come.

His eyes began to sting from the smoke. All of Hecate was filled with it and moaning of the dead and dying. The heat from dancing flames burned his skin but he knew he couldn't react to it. None of it was real. 

Not yet anyways.

Sydney put the wand down and sighed heavily, taking into his hand the bottle of Whiskey and finishing off the almost new bottle in two large gulps. There wasn't a day that passed now that he didn't make it through being half-drunk or more. 

It was just getting too hard.

And he couldn't tell Amissa.

He leaned back in his chair and thought of Amissa. He hadn't known you could love someone as much as he loved her. It was a thick love that didn't allow rest. It was all-encompassing and all consuming but it filled his mind with ideas and his heart with hope.

Such a thing could be fatal.

He smiled ruefully, reaching into his desk and drawing another bottle. Amissa and fellow Slytherin alumnae turned Hecate-worker Gideon Mallory were both currently in the interrogations with Ellis and his Kaga bitch Sanyu. It was the third day of questioning for them.

Amissa's position as head of Hecate's Rune Department was in question and Gideon has Azkaban awaiting him. 

Amissa needed him to be strong for her, especially now, especially with all this. They all needed him to be strong now. Jude and Andre needed a leader; someone who had pulled them out of greater strife then this and probably could hold the world on his shoulders if needed. Amissa needed her husband, her protector and guardian. 

They needed an Auror, not a man.

Sydney took a drink and stared at the window. He knew, even if no one else did, about the crimes that would soon be caused in the name of grief. He feared them but welcomed them as well. He saw what most could not even if they wanted to. He saw Nations moved by the actions of one man. He saw the world humbled and nations jumping at shadows. He saw the dead and dying all under a sun of blood.

And an angel of unparallel beauty marred by three gold lines whose vengeance could make nations tremble. He could see it all… 

And he was powerless to stop it.

"Sydney?"

He looked up and saw the face of another angel who, like her companion, was beautiful at the same time she was incomplete. The visions were painfully clear today and looking into Ari's eyes, Sydney could see her future. He saw a beautiful silver haired demon that would make her tainted, and marred. 

He took another drink.

"What number is that then?" She asked, not sounding concerned but clearly so. 

He forced his greatest smile up. "I don't share my booze, Ari, you know that." He set down the bottle (somewhat haphazardly so) and motioned for her to sit. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm not here on business." She whispered. It was then he noticed she had been crying. "I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" He exclaimed, sobering against his will. "Why?"

"Sanyu got her wish, I've been reassigned." He gasped, and stood too-quickly swaying slightly. Ari reached out and straightened him, a somber smile on her lips. "Hey, hey, steady. Amissa's going to kill you if you get much more fried."

"You can't leave, Ari. We need you." He said finally. "Malachi and I need you."

"I have to obey orders, Van Ness or it's Azkaban for me. Kaga don't get a choice."

"Where are they sending you?"

"Oh, lucky for me Auberon stepped in on my behalf," Auberon Fay was her mentor and leader of Kaga and close friend to Sydney. He smiled and glanced at the file Ari handed him. "I'm going to be assigned to be the companion of Albus Dumbledore."

"The Hogwarts Headmaster?" He frowned. "Why a Kaga Companion for a teacher?"

"He's working closely with Victory Hawke, one of the top Aurors in England and apparently he has ties to many in the Ministry and some regular civilians. He's not content with the actions of the IWC and their barring Hecate. He has gotten his allies to form some sort of alternative defense force."

"Vigilantes?" Van Ness frowned. "That doesn't sound like something Crouch would back."

"He doesn't."

"And you, you usually wouldn't back it either." He put the file down on the desk. "Why would you agree to this?"

"I need to do something, Sydney. Who knows when the IWC will let Hecate have free reign concerning Voldemort? I'm willing to do anything, besides if I'm England maybe I can find…" She trailed off and looked away.

Sydney reached over and grasped her hand. "He's not coming back, Ari."

"I know." She said carefully. "But maybe I can find him and ask what I'm dying to know…"

"What's that?"

"Why couldn't he stay?" She looked him straight in the eyes, waiting. Ari was a strong woman, always had been. Everyone who knew her relied on that strength and she had never wavered under that strain. Yet now, looking into his eyes, he could only see a woman dying to know the answers that were known, even to him. 

He shook his head softly. "I don't know."

"I know." She whispered. "And that's the hardest part." She forced up a smile. "I'll be in late October, for the anniversary…and I want you and Amissa married by then."

"Will you come to the wedding?"

"I'll try."

"Good. Stay safe, Angel. Amissa wants you as Maid of Honor" She stood and nodded, promising she would be there. They embraced and Sydney pushed back the scenes regarding her future to cherish this moment. He knew somewhere in his heart this would be one of the last times he saw her. As she turned and walked out, he called to her one last time. "He loved you, Ari. Don't ever doubt that."

She looked back with a strange look in her eyes. "So much so, he didn't even say good-bye."

The gardens of Hecate were large and dreamlike. It was easy to get lost there and Ari had, quite a few times with Alex. They had come to know these gardens like the back of their hands, and had cherished this place above all others and allowed it to become something shared between them. Neither one of them had ever been comfortable with the thought of being wholly loved and accepted by another lover, each for their own reasons but here, they had forgotten those fears and allowed what ever to past between to exist. 

The scent of the ever-green Magnolia trees filled the garden and seemed out of place in winter. If she tried hard enough, she could swear she heard his laughter in the branches of the weeping willows. The Willows swayed softly, as if keeping the memory of happier times trapped, hidden away from her. She came to a practically old-looking one, whose great umbrella like vines could completely cover two people from the world.

They had made love under this tree. They had laughed, argued, joked, teased and fought under this tree, blissfully unaware of the outside world. This place had been the only haven they had allowed themselves. And in this dreamland, they had been happy.

Or at least, she thought they had. She pushed aside the branches and stepped into the safe haven. On her face was a look polite confusion, as if she was trying to grasp something but couldn't, or straining to see through a thick, encompassing fog. When she spoke, her voice was timid, confused but mostly sad.

"It's getting cold." She whispered, looking around. "We all can feel it…the air's changing and things are becoming harder to cope with. Everyone's beginning to fail now, Alex. Sydney doesn't go through the day without drinking and most of the time he won't even see Amissa. Jude's become a recluse…even Malachi seems lost…and now, I'm leaving too. I don't think this is how we meant for it to end. Everything is stretched too far and we're all about to break. I don't think anybody can reach us now. We were just kind of foolish to believe that the war couldn't touch us and that they could never tear us apart. But they did. The war came without our consent. We're being torn apart and there's nothing we can do to stop it." She paused, clearing her eyes before finding the strength to continue. The words were beginning to taste like ash in her mouth. 

"You said once that Billy was the best of us all. You said that he was the heart we all had but couldn't show, the parts of us we were afraid to show even to each other... but now he's gone. He held us all together and when he died…the squad was broken."

"So, it's all dying now, Alex. Everyone can sense it. The air's getting colder… Now everything is ending. I'm just kind of wondering…what's going to be left for us when this is all over. One day, this will all be done…and what's going to become of us? I don't know if I will ever see you again, Alex. But I hope…" 

No, she corrected herself, she didn't. Ari never hoped. That was a trait reserved for humans and she was Kaga. They were something above human, a breed of creature who didn't feel pain, or lost.

Or even love.

She was right. Things were ending but she couldn't allow herself to falter. Not now. She still had a job to do. She raised her head and inhaled, as if the motions gave her some real strength. She wrapped her training around herself like a protective cloak, demanding that she keep herself composed and strong. 

But, she felt obliged to do pay at least some respect to the times shared here. She had to say good-byes. Her mind searched for something fitting. 

"Beyond hope, Severus. Now and always." 

She lingered there for a moment afterwards, waiting for some reply, or at least, some feeling of completion. None came. 

No regrets, she thought to herself, taking in one last time the gardens. She then bowed her head, as if in prayer and turned to walk away. 

"You're leaving?"

A voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Jude Remington standing before her. His eyes, once clear and hazel were haunted now and his worn appearance startled Ari.

She had always known him to be handsome and collected. He had the body of a Quidditch player- strong shoulders and powerful arms that as an Auror had been used for blunt strength and the occasional sparring match with Sydney or Alex. He was a formidable man but at the same time there had been tenderness hat she had once been attracted too. 

Ari had known him since he first was assigned to Sydney as an apprentice, and they had been good friends, sharing at times intimate moments that perhaps could have one day turned into something else. 

Had not Severus enter the picture.

"Oh Jude." She exclaimed, stepping forward and putting her hand on his cheek. His face seemed drawn like if he hadn't slept in days. "What's happening to you?"

"All my sins remembered." He whispered calmly, nuzzling her hand and cupping it to his face. He looked into her eyes, repeating. "You're leaving?"

She nodded ruefully. "Within the hour."

"You weren't going to say Good-bye?"

"I couldn't…not to you, at least."

"Why not?"

"Because it would hurt too much." She answered. "And I can't hurt you more then I already have."

"What if I said it was not too late for us?" He asked. "What if I said that if we tried hard enough, you and me could make it."

"I would say it is too late." 

He gave her a soft smile, something hopeful and sad at the same time. "I thought so. You loved him…"

"No. We didn't love." She countered, carefully. "We weren't people that could."

"Could you have loved me?" She smiled softly but didn't answer. He nodded and took her hands in his, kissing it. "You know, I did things…and some of them were for you."

"What kind of things?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." He said, letting her hand fall. "I'll get what's coming to me soon enough regarding those scores." He laughed slightly. "Still we could have been grand together, you and I."

"Yes," She said, matching his half-hearted smile. "Isn't it lovely to think so?"

The hall was called Memory. It got its name from the messages that covered every corner, wall and furniture in the old dormitory. When in use, the building had been the first stop for new Auror recruits entering the Academy but now it had become a make-shift memorial to fallen comrades. The building had been left in tact when they had moved the dormitories and so the memorial appeared to be waiting for people that would never come. 

And on the walls were names of lost, final messages and large beautiful murals that served to preserve the memory of those the Aurors themselves could no longer mourn. 

Sydney entered the building, Jack Daniels in hand, and made his way to one mural on the second floor. It took up the entire wall and was painted in Broken Color, using vibrant colors in short strokes to create a blurry but touching picture. 

Billy had painted it. His real name was Matthew William Moore but nobody ever called him that. People just called him Monet, after the great artist whose style he imitated.

The picture was of two people: male and female with their backs to each other and their heads bowed. Their clothing was nondescript and faces blurred, so that they could be anyone. There was something sad about the picture until you noticed one part of it…so easily overlooked on first glance people seldom noticed.

They were holding hands. 

Sydney sighed heavily and reached over, placing his hand on the picture, sliding his eyes shut.

"Come and crush a cup of wine with us!" Alexander Rouge shouted over the blaring music in Memory. 

Jude looked up and smiled. "Or brandy as the case is."

"Or Whiskey." Amissa offered.

Sydney strolled over; stepping over the cans of paint and taking the drink Alex offered him. He regarded it carefully, sipped it, and then grimaced. "I thought this was supposed to make you feel good."

"It's supposed to make you feel nothing." 

"Aha, well that works better." He smiled, handing back the drink to Rouge. The Heir of Akel Dama downed the drink, barely flinching from the rancid taste. Sydney shook his head. "How can you drink that poison?"

"It's better with a chaser." The man answered coolly, reaching out and swinging Ari into his arms and kissed her. He pulled away triumphantly. "See?"

Ari rolled her eyes and pushed away. She smiled softly, bowing slightly. "Armsman Van Ness, a pleasure as always."

"Ari, I need your help over here." That was Billy's voice from top the ladder.

The gang was all there; Sydney, Alexander, Billy, and Jude with their partners- Amissa, Erised, Dahlia and Jude's flavor of the month, a woman named Lynn. They were all in Memory to help Billy with his mural to First Bloods. 

First Bloods were the first fallen of an Auror graduating class. Alex and Billy's class had gone a year without the victims and then, a week ago the Death Eater known as Jack the Ripper had taken down an ambassador and his staff- among them two Aurors known as Ashley and Amber. Neither Alexander nor Billy had been close to the two Aurors but both had felt the lost in that special way of knowing they could be next. Alex had being quieter for a few days. 

Billy had painted.

This wasn't unusual for Billy. He was always sketching, doodling, or watching. He understood the world through his drawings and somehow, with his sketching, he made it bearable. More over, he made it beautiful again when the world seemed ugly and cold.

"Are they Ash and Amber?" Sydney asked, motioning to the half-finished mural.

Billy glanced at him, then back to the picture. "It's you and Amissa, me and Dahlia, Alex and Ari…and yes, Ash and Amber. It's everyone; cling onto something tangible when the incomprehensible surrounds them."

"Why are they facing away from each other?" Amissa asked.

Billy reached over for the blue that Ari was offering him. He dipped his brush and returned to painting. "Because," He murmured softly. "Isn't that how we are? We are always too proud to cling to what we need…"

Sydney pulled his hand away from the wall, ending the vision and collapsing onto the floor. He drew his knees up, and cradled himself, clutching onto the bottle for dear life. "Oh god…why did you have to go?" He asked. "Why couldn't have been me?"

Billy's death wounded everyone he knew him deeply, both because of the senselessness of it but also of the emptiness it caused for all who knew him. 

There was something in the way Billy existed that seemed wise and simple and beautiful all at the same time. His hands were his instruments of mercy, some surreal but at the same time they were what bound him to this world, Severus had said. Severus had believed with all his being that Billy had been placed on this earth to bind the gang together, to unite them and make them whole. But like all things surreal, Billy's time on earth was limited and he seemed to sense that. Billy never seemed quite right on this world. He was something innocent and beautiful and that had no place in a world like this. 

But Sydney was of this world, bounded to it…and damned because of it.

"Why couldn't it have been me?" 

"Would you have left me?" He heard a voice whispered and looking up he meant Amissa's eyes. She was watching him, determined to reach somehow. She spoke again, "Would you have left us all without you?"

"I should have died, he was under my command. I should have been there for him."

"You couldn't save him. That's how war is…that's what makes it hell."

"No, War isn't hell. War is war. Hell is hell." He muttered. "And of the two, war is worst."

"Why do you say that?"

"Who goes to hell?"

"The evil."

"Exactly," Sydney said, downing his drink. "There are no innocent bystanders in hell, war is full of them."

"Billy knew the risks. He died with honor…"

"But it's my fault he's dead." He said, shutting his eyes. "It's my fault…"

"It's not your fault their dead."

"Yes it is." Sydney shouted, shattering the bottle as he threw it against Billy's mural. "I should have seen it! I should have known! Not only was I his leader, I was his friend…and I can see the future.

'I've seen time pass before my eyes in moments, quicker then a blink and faster then a breath. I see children not yet born age before me. I know how people die before they do. I know the face of their lover before they've ever set eyes on them…but I can't, for the life of me, understand why I couldn't save him. When it counted most…why I could save him."

"Pre-cogs aren't all-knowing. They see in glimpses, bits and pieces and the future is always changing. Even you don't know how it ends." She said, walking towards him. She put her arm around him and squeezed. "You can't see everything. You can only make things better, that's the only thing we can do."

"Then make it better, Amissa! If the future can change because of one choice or one action then do it! Make it better! Turn left when it'll really count and make it ok! Do something to make it all better! Tell me how to make it better!" He pulled away and pressed his knuckles against the cold wall, leaning his entire weight against the wall, gritting against the memories. "What is it? What is that magic word or deed that makes everything turn out alright? Do it…make it okay. Bring Billy back!"

"I can't."

"Then what use are you? What good are you now? If you can't do what's needed to set things right, why are you or I here? What good am I if I couldn't save my squad?" He waited. "Answer me!"

"I don't know what to say…"

"Get out of my sight." He exhaled, disgusted. He was disgusted with himself for his weakness, disgusted with the world for being so cruel and disgusted with her for not doing the impossible. Hatred welled up in his throat. "If you can't do anything but stand there, get out of my sight."

"Sydney, please…"

"I said leave!" He screamed; spinning and flailing his arm, in anger. The sound of his hand striking her didn't register until he noticed the blood streaming from her lip. He stepped back, shocked at himself at what he had done. His anger immediately left him. "Amissa…"

"You said leave…" She whispered, holding a hand to her lip. "I'm doing so." 

He watched her turn and walk away, feeling his heart break as she did. There were few things he loved, his squad was one, Hecate was another, but Amissa topped it all. She was everything to him; all at once his weakness and his strength and watching her leave drained him. He sank to his knees again, ignoring the pain of the shattered glass as it pierced his pants and sliced his skin. He bowed his head.

"Does that make it better?" Asked a cool, female voice. Sydney didn't need to look up to know the voice. It was Corinna Hecate, the Kaga Companion who had been his occasional bedfellow before he had ever met Amissa. He looked up, and watched her. Corinna was wearing a gray robe, hiding a nightgown. Her blond hair was pulled into a bun and her blue eyes were focused on him, "Does it make it all go away?"

He stood, not caring for the pain, and pulled her near to him. She gasped slightly from the suddenly action and power behind and submitted when he drove his hand down her robe, kissing her. She understood his actions held no love or ill-will in them. He just wanted to feel like he could still control something. He would never want to control Amissa like this, to cause pain, with her it was different. 

She was there to make sure Aurors felt human. So she didn't make a sound as he forced her robe down her shoulders. She drew her hand through his hair and kissed his brow. "Make it better," She cooed. "If only for a moment…"


	21. Courage equal to desire

**All thanks and praise goes to the almighty Ping whose advice, bidden or not, always makes the story better. She's listened to my ramblings and my revisions and STILL is a fan. Lauds to Amissa who is one of the greatest Muses and RP buddies around. Thanks for helping me through writer's block and giving yours opinion. Finally, Megan and Karen who are also terrific muses and testing groups. **

_"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city,_

_set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,_

_and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, _

_throw Yourself down…"_

_          Matthew 4: 5-6a_

**Chapter Twenty-One: Courage Equaled to Desire**

  
          Lord Voldemort stepped onto the balcony, fingers curled around his wand, lightly tapping the length of the wood, as if he were playing the piano. Beside him were his two lieutenants, Jacqueline and Silas. Silas' arms were wrapped around Jackie's waist, and he was leaning into her neck. Voldemort glanced at them and smiled.  
  
          They really were made for each other. Both loved the panic and euphoria of open war. They were fierce fighters, creating the sense of fear that Voldemort needed to begin the war.  
  
          Now all he needed was someone to keep the fear alive. Someone methodical and precise in his actions, someone who knew what it was to be both a member of the light and of the darkness.  
  
          Such as this fallen angel of Hecate's Compound.  
  
          Voldemort watched as his breath turned to mist and danced on the rushing wind. "Will he join?" he asked into the stillness.  
  
          "Imre Macardit will begin to train him," Silas answered. "He will follow you to hell, soon enough."  
  
          "Give him a kingdom," Jackie whispered. "Imre will fashion you a Prince."  
  
          "And soon he will give you your war."  
  
          Voldemort considered this as he gazed into the city. He had taken everything from Severus. Not just love, but also hopes and beliefs, and in a way that was deadlier than merely killing everyone he loved. A man without hope was the cruelest of all creatures, and the most irrational. Severus would make an able general, of this Voldemort was certain.  
  
          But Severus was a sleeping viper that could one day rear up and strike Voldemort himself. Sins had a way of coming back like that.   
  
          But, until then, Severus would give him a war, and then…  
  
          A throne.  
  
          Voldemort felt a chill and tugged on his robe, pulling it closer. "And let slip the dogs of war." He turned towards Jackie. "Come to bed." 

  
          Jackie bowed, removing herself from Silas' grasp, and followed him in.  
  
  
          Severus was alone on the stage of the Looking Glass, going through the motions of swordplay. He forced his breathing to remain calm, even as he forced his muscles to tense and flex with each movement. He mindful of his footwork, even as he weaved around imagined obstacles, keeping his arms close together and his balance centered. He knew the rules by heart, each one entwined with a memory that brought a smile to his lips.  
  
          Although he danced alone, each action, each movement had been honed by those who came before him. The history of Hecate Compound moved with him, guiding, guarding, and wrapping around him like a protective cloak. Each action he executed had been done before, by the Aurors that had come before him; with each practiced move of his arms, he took their strength and made it his own. The blood that ran through his veins was Auror, and never was he as proud of that as in the moments he practiced the art of war. In those moments, he knew virtue, loyalty, honor, and a host of other things that made him complete.  
  
          And he longed for home. He longed for Hecate and her vast' looming gardens, her white walls and the people he viewed as family.  
  
          He thought of Sydney. The man's words rang through his mind. Van Ness had asked him to return home, and Severus longed to return with the man. He ached for home and family, but felt with the same passion the need for revenge.  
  
          Billy, Dahlia, and Dora had been murdered. He couldn't allow them to be disgraced by being forgotten. He couldn't allow their murderer to go unpunished either. He would exact a cruel and proper revenge for this traitor.  
  
          A wave of anger overcame Severus and caused him to stumble. He relaxed and shook his head. Sydney would be disappointed, but he had none of Van Ness' infinite patience.  
  
          He smiled at the thought of his mentor and best friend. After basic training, Sydney had taken Severus under his tutelage, teaching him all that he knew. Sydney's lessons had been simple but powerful, with example and direction given when needed.  
  
  
          "Keep it simple," Sydney instructed, meeting each blow Alex gave him with ease. They had been at this game for almost two hours and Van Ness had barely broken a sweat. It annoyed Snape to no end. He exhaled angrily and pushed into Sydney's arms.  
  
          Van Ness blocked with one hand and stepped back. The momentum caused Alex to lose his balance and stumble. Sydney reached out and steadied him, smiling. "You're letting your emotions guide your actions. It doesn't work like that."  
  
          "Why not? Shouldn't you fight only when you believe in something?"  
  
          "But feelings can cloud your purpose. They can make you lose sight of your goal. Remember you're not fighting because you believe in it, you're fighting because it's right."  
  
          "That doesn't make any sense," Alex countered, flipping away from Sydney's first advance.  
  
          "One day you will understand."  
  
          "Why do I feel like I'm caught in a bad Kung Fu movie?" 

  
          "Because your senses are tuned…" Van Ness smiled, "…Grasshopper."  
  
          "Yes, Master." Alex smiled, reaching out and playing with his friend's hair. "But I think you're underestimating the value of feelings in your fighting."  
  
          "Why do you say that?"  
  
          "Because," he said, throwing his full weight on Sydney as he picked up his black cowboy hat and placed it on his head, "feelings can keep you going when beliefs fail."  
  
  


  
          "You fight well, but you have no purpose behind it."  
  
          The voice of Imre Macardit broke Severus' concentration, causing him to stumble and pulling him away from the memory. Imre was walking between the tables towards the stage, calmly, but with a distinct prowl that made him feel like a hunted animal. He took a step back and watched as Imre smiled and pulled himself onto the stage.  
  
          Marcardit had an arresting appearance, but not because of a graceful frame or imposing figure. It was the way he held himself. Imre could control a room by walking into it. His manner could not be described as fierce, but there was an edge to his silence. His power came from a danger sensed when he appeared, and real or imagined, Imre used that fear to his advantage.  
  
          He was dressed in a Muggle suit of white linen and carried a cane to help his walking. His hands were perfectly manicured and rested nimbly on the top button of his coat. His hair was white and his eyes a simple brown.  
  
          "It seems a shame as well," the man said softly, pulling his gaze from Severus and turning to admire the woodwork. He began to pace the length of the stage, his steps echoing eerily in the auditorium. "Such passion wasted. You have skill, but no tenacity, and you deny your emotions when they are easily the strongest of all your virtues."  
  
          "What would you know of my virtues?"  
  
          "I don't, but I know of your desires…your wishes and dreams. Those dark secrets you have buried so deep in your heart even you don't know you have them. I know your heart. The darkness and the disquiet you feel inside you, even now," Imre picked up his cane and held it like a sword over Severus' heart. "And I know your fears. They're written in the way you fight. You fear your passion because it will take you one step closer to that darkness you were trained to fight against. You are afraid of losing your Auror mask because underneath it…" He smiled softly. "What is under there?"  
  
          Severus bit down and looked away. He meant to walk away, but Imre's voice pierced his soul again.  
  
          "Son of Man, why do you walk away from me? Why do you fear mere words?" 

          "Your words are poison," Severus countered, turning around. "I know who I am. I am Alexander Rouge..."  
  
          "An alias?" Imre asked carefully, tilting his head. "How can you truly be an Auror if you can't even use your real name?"  
  
          "What's the importance of a name?"  
  
          "You know the reason as well as I. Naming is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of magic. To name something is to define it, and to define it is to control it." He pressed the cane against Severus' chest. "Now, I wonder what was the dowry you accepted to let yourself be so mastered."  
  
          Again, Snape pulled away. "What do you want?"  
  
          "I seek to teach you." Imre saw the frown and continued. He withdrew his cane and returned to pacing. He walked towards the edge and jumped off the stage. "You have passion, but no discipline, Morning Star. You have skill, but no desire to use it. You are content to allow yourself be forced into servitude when you could be much more."  
  
          "Aha, I could be more with Voldemort? If I joined him, I could truly realize my potential? You'll have to do better than that if you are to tempt me, Satan." He moved towards the edge of the stage.  
  
          "I can show you the kingdoms of man, with all their riches and splendor, but it wouldn't make you bow, Severus," Imre answered simply. "So I do not offer the world. I ask you to follow me. I ask you to trust me to teach you**,** and you can do what you wish with my lessons. If you seek completion, take that from my lessons. If you seek vengeance, I ask you to allow me to show you the ways and means to exact it." He reached out his hand. "Will you take it?"  
  
          "I've spent my entire life fighting against creatures like you." He asked, "Why should I follow you now?"  
  
          Imre closed his eyes to consider this. There was a long pause before he simply replied, "Because it's time."  
  
          Severus watched him. He couldn't really comprehend what was running through his head at this moment, but he knew there was truth in Imre's words. He edged closer to the brink and looked out. Emptiness and darkness surrounded him, and like some tempting angel, Imre stood, hand extended, patiently waiting. He wasn't exactly sure of the reasons, but there was something in him that longed to learn from this man. He wanted to jump off the stage, and follow him. But at the same time, Severus feared him. This gilded world where Silas ruled like a prince was already calling to him, and he could feel himself losing grip on his home even as he longed for it. This world wanted him, and he was having a hard time resisting it, even without Imre's poisonous words.  
  
          Still, he knew who he was, didn't he?  
  
          Exhaling, Severus jumped. 

  
          Jean Lafayette entered his apartment and threw his coat on his bed, shuffling through his letters. Most of the letters were from Hecate, regarding business that he had to tend to. He groaned, pouring himself a drink and searching through the dismal remains of his kitchen foodstuff. He needed to go shopping.  
  
          He needed to do a lot of things. Impersonate a dead man, be there for a squad that was tearing itself apart, and hold them together long enough for this raging storm to pass.  
  
          No problem at all.  
  
          There was a knock on his door. He glanced at it curiously, hand falling to his wand. He wasn't expecting company. "Who's there?"  
  
          "Rouge, open it up. It's Sydney."  
  
          Jean frowned, but went to admit his friend. He was stunned by what he saw. Sydney was sober, but there was a pain in his eyes. Jean stepped aside and guided Sydney towards a chair. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
          Sydney bowed his head, slumping forward. "I've messed up, Alex. I've messed up big."  
  
          "Come on, old man," he answered, lightly. He did the best he could, but knew that he wasn't the Alexander Sydney needed right now. But Jean would be damned if he didn't try. He reached over and nudged. "It can't be that bad."  
  
          "Amissa and I got into a fight last month…she went to home," Sydney said into his hands. "We haven't talked since then. I fear I've lost her."  
  
          "Have you tried to make amends?"  
  
          "I haven't the strength or the courage to go talk to her."  
  
          "Then you've already accepted losing her."  
  
          "No!" Sydney said, and for the first time in a long time, there was a resolve behind his words. He looked like his old self again for that brief moment. "I can't lose her, too."  
  
          "Then what's stopping you?"  
  
          "The night we fought…" He forced the words to come. "I slept with another woman." Jean leaned back, knowing there was more. Sydney looked up, meeting his eyes. "She's with child." 

  
          The Kaga exhaled. "Well, that is something, isn't it?"  
  
          "I don't know what to do, Alex. I've never felt this…lost."  
  
          "You have to tell Amissa, Sydney. You have to find her and tell her or you'll do more than lose her." He inhaled deeply before adding, "And you have to end this, Sydney. You have to end it all. No more drinking, no more double-guessing. You're an Auror and once that meant something. Remember what it means again."  
  
          "I don't think I know how to."  
  
          Jean reached over and brushed his shoulder again. Sydney exhaled slightly and pulled away but Jean continued. "It's easy to jump into the darkness when it's everywhere, Sydney. It's easy to feel pain and anger and want it gone. It's easy to hide it away somewhere and look away, hoping you'll forget it in time."  
  
          Sydney was nodding and he leaned back, against Jean. He looked so tired that it pained Jean. The Kaga reached over, smiling softly. "But the important thing is…not to jump."  
  
          Sydney looked over again, took Jean's hand and gripped it firmly. "You'll have to help me."  
  
          "I swear it," Jean answered. "Come on, let's go call Amissa." 


	22. Days filled with Misery

**_            Hello again! Look, see updating again; aren't you all proud of me? This story is annoying and hard to write but it's coming along nicely I swear. Sorry it's taking so long to finish but I'm working on a few other projects at the same time. I'll try and be better on the updates, I promise. Till then…enjoy! Read and review!_**

**Chapter Twenty-Two:  Days filled with Misery**  
  
          "Trouble sleeping?" Valentine asked, glancing up from the glasses he was polishing. It was early morning and one of Silas' parties had just broken up. 

          "What time is it?" Snape yawned, stretching his aching muscles. Imre was drilling him daily now, but he found none of the serenity he had felt training. Sleep gave him no comfort as well, as he had become prone to nightmares. So he took to pacing, quietly sliding out from beside Jackie and walking around the empty halls of her villa or, on nights like this, the Looking Glass. The theater's entire upper floor had been converted to several large loft-like apartments, places where one could rest a night or two if needed, or make their home.  
  
          Home…  
  
          "Half past seven," Valentine answered, tearing off a sheet from an old newspaper to dry another glass. He looked at Snape, over the rims of his shades. "You look beaten. Jackie keeping you up at night?"  
  
          "Something like that." Snape stretched again before rubbing his stomach and smiling ruefully. "She's turning me soft."  
  
          "The price of being a kept man, no?" Valentine laughed, switching the glasses.  
  
          Severus favored him with a smile before letting it fade quickly. He couldn't say he liked the idea of being Jackie's pet, no matter how fruitful the bounty. He was not a libertine nor did he like the idea of being labeled one. He exhaled and took the paper Valentine was using for rags to give himself something to do.  
  
          The newspaper was a week old and clamored with reports of war. Names he had read back at Hecate now made the headlines as a growing body count came from more frequent attacks. He read over the paper, searching for news of Hecate. The immortal Compound had been besieged by legislation from the IWC that seized power from the Compound and gave it the respective Ministries. This robbed Aurors of power, forcing them to obey the guidelines of the countries. Hecate was screaming to have her authority restored and be granted full war powers. A move like that would legalize the use of the Unforgivable Curses.  
  
          Snape inhaled. Until now the general public did not consider this a war. He could only imagine what event would force the politicians into proclaiming a war.  
  
          Valentine must have seen the expression on his face. "I know. Time does fly in here, doesn't it?"  
  
          "This place really does swallow up time."  
  
          "That's the idea," Valentine offered, ripping off the front page to clean his cantor. "The Looking Glass was created so you'd lose sense of time and place. Silas designed it so you could forget yourself in here and just…eat, drink, and be merry. It's good at what it does, isn't it?"  
  
          "Like it has a life of its own." Snape moaned, leaning his head against the bar. "How do you stand it?"  
  
          "Stand living here?" Valentine shrugged. "I keep busy. Idle hands are the devil's plaything, you know." He replaced that glass.  "And you should, too."  
  
          "Keep busy? How? Lord Voldemort's potions hardly keep me up at night. Rudimentary poisons and children's brews," Snape scoffed. He turned around and looked out at the empty theater.  
  
          And again in his stomach, he began to feel the unease of a life being wasted. He shook his head and exhaled angrily.  
  
          An action Valentine caught. "Hey, Sev, you're pretty good with Potions right?"  
  
          "That's the rumor."  
  
          "I've got a friend who deals with Potions. She's working up there by Kingston, something to do with mandrakes and belladonna. Do you think you could help her out somewhat?"  
  
          "Belladonna? Mandrakes? What is she doing? Poison studies?"  
  
          "Actually, she's working on some sort of personal quest, something that has to do with lycanthropy."  
  
          "That is by no means my field of expertise."  
  
          "Never was kept up by the werewolf stories?"  
  
          "One tried to eat me once. Does that count?"  
  
          "I suppose it could." Valentine nodded. "Can I ask you to meet her?"  
  
          Snape searched the barkeep's eyes. "Sure, I'll do it."  
  
          "Good. I told her you'd meet her this morning. Eight o'clock, at the Rimbauer restaurant. Been there before?"  
  
          "Yeah." Snape frowned, pleasantly surprised. "How did you do that?"  
  
          "Do what?"  
  
          "Know I was feeling listless before I told you?"  
  
          "I'm a bartender, Severus." Valentine poured some coffee and slid it towards him. "I make it my business to know my clientele."  
  
          "You're too good for this life, Valentine."  
  
          "That's the rumor." He laughed, pouring himself some of the black liquid and staring at it distastefully. "Her name is Nicanora Vargas, but everyone calls her Nora." A soft, begrudged smile crossed his lips. "That or Queen Bitch."  
  
          "Gee, that's reassuring," Snape said, standing. He smiled at Valentine. "Thank you, by the way."  
  
          "Hey, you seem like a decent sort of fellow," the barkeep said. "Might as well let you know that there's more than one out there."  
  
          Snape watched the man and was struck by how young he looked. Valentine was shorter than most men and had this impish charm to him that made women swoon. His hair was always mussed and commonly dyed red at the tips. He  wore jeans flared over his jackboots and tight shirts that proudly displayed the icons of various bands. There was something in the way he moved that reminded Snape of Billy.  
  
          That could be the reason Snape trusted Valentine from the beginning.  
  
          Valentine looked up. "You're going to be late for your meeting."  
  
          Snape stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled at Valentine before taking his leave. He walked outside, looking up at the rising sun. He felt the wind blow against him softly, and he tugged on his cloak.  
  
          It was colder now, he noticed. The trees were beginning to lose their leaves and brace for a cold winter. Snape bit his lip and nodded at the huge church that greeted him.  
  
          The squat, round priest who was sweeping the stoop looked up, smiled at him and waved. For a moment, Snape considered waving back, but thought against.  
  
          He had promises to keep…  
  
  
          "Gideon Mallory, you better get your sorry ass back here before I personally hunt you down and make you regret the day you eve chose become an Auror!" Amissa Moon shouted over the Floo.  
  
          The specter in the flames made a face.  "How about I just send Clare in my stead? Will that make things better?"  
  
          "Bring that damn Ravenclaw with you!" The Runes Master smiled at her friend, brushing back her curtain of frost-colored hair. "Besides, who else am I going to have to gossip with at the wedding?"  
  
          "So," the man said, a coy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "you're going through with it?"  
  
          Amissa lowered her head and studied the ring on her finger. "Sydney made a mistake…I know he never meant to hurt me. He's only human, and that's something all of you war dogs tend to forget." She smiled softly. "He loves me. I know he does."  
  
          "And what about the kid?"  
  
          "Oh!" Amissa announced, as proud as she would have been had the child been her own. "We got the first pictures from the doctor's today! You can make out her feet."  
  
          "So it's a girl?"  
  
          "Well, Sydney thinks it'll be a boy, but I know better. It's a girl."  
  
          "Does she look like her father?"  
  
          "Sure does," Amissa said, with a smile that made people nervous. "All curled and useless."  
  
          "I swear if I can I'll make it…But no promises."  
  
          "You better." Her voice softened. "Hecate isn't the same without you."  
  
          That disarming grace that all Malfoys were known for came through full blast as Gideon bowed his head softly towards her before flipping off the Floo. Amissa tsked at the fireplace, before turning away and gathering the files she had to deliver to Sydney. As she walked down the halls, Amissa began to recount all that had passed in the last year.  
  
          It was Friday October 26 and within three weeks, it would be the one year anniversary of Billy Moore and his family's deaths. Finally, old wounds were beginning to show signs of healing. Sanyu and Ellis' witch-hunts had died down when it was shown they weren't accomplishing anything.  
   
          Since then, Amissa had been appointed Minister of Runes at Hecate Compound was spending a small fortune on her wedding, which would take place that following March at her home in Wales. It was rumored that she and Sydney were working on a new, legitimate heir to the Moon-Van Ness estates.  
  
          And the squad had received a new Auror, a woman nicknamed Celia 'Sky' Falls. Her youthful spunk and talent seemed to bring Billy's soul back to the group, and Jean Andre and Jude were quickly falling into a friendship that rivaled the one that had been broken.  
  
          Finally, Malachi Smith had been given an honorable discharge and was now aide to Hecate's leader Vladimir Fenrir.  
  
          This left the command of Hecate's Unspeakables open…  
  
          And Sydney Van Ness was a whisper on the lips of important men.  
  
          He was poised to become the replace Malachi Smith, making him one of the most powerful men at Hecate Compound. 

          But he had promised Amissa he would retire and even though, in his blue eyes, people could see his resolve to do so fading, his word to Amissa bound him. He had almost lost her once, and he was certain he wouldn't do anything to endanger their relationship again.  
  
          He wouldn't leave her side for all the gold in the world. Amissa smiled to herself. Nor would she leave his. They were going to grow old together…in that ranch he was always talking about.  
  
          "Wonder who'd take his place?" Sky Falls was saying as Amissa entered. She had finally decided that working was overrated anyways. She pushed away from her desk and yawned. "I thought it was you, Jude."  
  
          "Not likely," Remington said, throwing his files over the desk and cursing. His hair was mostly gray now and his eyes seemed dead. He looked like a corpse that had forgotten to die. The last year had been harder on him than most. People said he felt the Moore family's death rested on his shoulders. "I heard it was Phoenix Hawke's if he wanted it."  
  
          Andre Lafayette sipped his drink and narrowed his eyes. "The politician? What does Hawkey boy know about fighting?"  
  
          "Phoenix knows how to play fields, the politics and the fighting," Sky defended.  
  
          "Besides…" said a voice from the doorway that nobody had heard for months, "…he's like his father."  
  
          "Ari?!" Jude exclaimed, raising from his chair, disbelieving. "Is it really you?"  
  
          "A little worn for wear but I'm still good." She said, wincing from the stiffness of battle fatigue. "At least that's what they tell me."  
  
          She was dressed in pitch black, from her high collar to her polished leather boots, save for the image of an orange and red phoenix that was over her right shoulder. It was bitchy Ari, Jean announced playfully, complete with dangerous look and gloves.  
  
          Jude pulled her into a hug, which caused her to stiffen. He pulled away and frowned. Ari pulled off her coat, revealing a masterfully kept frame under a tank top.  
  
          On her neck were a painful set of vampire bites, but peering out from her back were a pair of tattooed angel wings. Three Japanese glyphs rested on the back of her neck and trailed into her wings. She smiled at them, shrugging. "Figured you couldn't fight demons unless you're an angel, eh? The bites are from a secret admirer named Isaiah. Dumbledore sent me to hunt down some rumors and they were true."  
  
          "What was it all about?"  
  
          "The vampires and werewolves tried to unite. There's chaos in the underworld now that somebody killed Daniel. It's like a civil war." Ari winced again as she positioned herself against Jude's chest. "Well, Albus wanted me to interrupt the games…Vampires got away, but I got a couple of weres for my walls."  
  
          "Don't let Amissa hear you," Falls quipped. "She'll have your hide."  
  
          Amissa took this chance to nudge Ari with her boot. "Damn straight."  
  
          "I promise you, I put them down quietly, Frosty." Ari moved just in time to avoid another kick. "In any case, Dumbledore let me have a vacation, so here I am."  
  
          "How long?"  
  
          "I'm expected back late November." She gave Andre a private smile. "God, it's good to see you again." She looked up. "You too, Jude."  
  
          "And what about me?" Sydney entered the room, smiling. "I never thought I'd see you again, Ari."  
  
          "Why are you all acting like I died and came back from the dead? I just went to England."  
  
          "Ah, yes, England," Sydney mused. "Where all bad Aurors go when they die." Now it was his turn to have Amissa kick him.  
  
          "Come, Ash," Andre said, walking over and claiming Ari for himself. He smiled softly at her, calling her by a secret name only Severus had called her. "Let's go grab something to eat."  
  
          "Old friend coming back from the dead," Sky announced, already handing out the coats. "Yes, that warrants taking off the rest of the day for a welcome back. Where to?"  
  
          Amissa smiled. "Where else? Sick Dick's."  
  
          The Kaga mused in mock distaste, "There's nothing quite like that old, ragged barbeque joint for a welcome-home party."  
  
          "Eat, drink, and be merry!" Jude said playfully. "For tomorrow you die."  
  
          Ari glanced at him, frowning. She had heard that before…from a Death Eater during an attack. She met his eyes, searching, but he just smiled softly at her.  
  
          "Make sure you get your coat back on," Jude whispered. "It's getting cold out there." 


	23. Masking the Angel

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Masking the Angel **

Severus' first reaction towards the Potions Mistress sitting before him was amusement. She was a squat, ancient-looking woman, with short curls of white resting over tanned skin and deep, brown eyes that were narrowed with age. It was her hands that caught his attention. Small and gnarled, most of her fingers were bandaged at the knuckles. He was impressed. His aunt had been fond of saying you could tell how good a Potions Master was by his hands,and judging by this woman's worn and calloused fingers, Snape could tell she was damn good at what she did. He smoothed out his cloak, put on his best smile, and stepped forward.  
  
            "Madam Vargas?"  
  
            Nicanora Vargas looked up from what she was writing, took him in, and burst into laughter. "Dios mio, yo pregunta' por un hombro pero el mandron un nino."  
  
            "I'm sorry?" Snape asked, frowning. Spanish was among the most common languages at Hecate because of its location near the Mexican border, but he had never fully mastered the language. However, he could tell from her tone and what little he knew that Vargas was not pleased with him. "Do I offend you?"  
  
            "Not at all**.**" Vargas snickered, placing down her drink. "It's just that when Valentine said he had found an assistant for me, I was expecting someone older."  
  
            Snape frowned. "He told me you needed help with Poisons…I wasn't looking to be someone's assistant."  
  
            "Well, that's something Valentine would do, isn't it? Let me explain. I'm Professor Vargas, of Holms College of Apothecary. I work in research and development. Most of my work involves experimental drugs."  
  


            "You're a medic?"  
  
            "No, but it's a pretty neat title, isn't it? Not to mention it gives me an excuse to work with potions all day. I know it doesn't sound like much, but there's nothing quite like the simmering of a cauldron, or truly understanding the delicate powers of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses. I can bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper to death…but I need someone to help me. Someone who knows his way around a cauldron and can learn to keep his mouth shut."  
  
            "Silence is a virtue I've mastered."  
  
            "Good lad." Nora nodded. She sipped her drink and smiled at him. "Can you harvest poison from belladonna and oleanders?"  
  
            "Of course I can. Belladonna can be harvested straight off the plant. If you want oleanders to be poisonous, I'll have to brew the leaves. Of course, if you're planning on adding something like mandrakes to the water, it'll make the oleander useless, but and bitter. I hear it makes a great dreamless sleep tonic though."  
  
            "You know your stuff." She nodded**.** "I'm impressed. So, can you tell me what important brew comes out of potatoes?"  
  
            Snape frowned, searching his mind for the answer. He shook his head. "No…I don't know. What?"  
  
            "Vodka." She smiled, patting his shoulder. "The job's yours if you want it. I trust Valentine to deliver what I want."  
  
            "Thanks…I, um…thank you," he said.  
  
            "Valentine said you were looking for a new life. I can offer a job, and that's always a good start. I'll see you first thing on Monday." She picked up her books, bowed to him once more, and walked out the door. Severus watched her go, about to leave himself when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He glanced back and groaned. "Silas? What are you doing here?"  
  
  
            "What else would I be doing?" Malfoy slid into the seat beside Snape. "I'm spying on you. So how'd it go?"  
  
            "You knew?"  
  
            "Of course I knew. Valentine told me." Silas motioned to a waitress. "Two teas, and I'll have the lemon chicken. He'll have the…"   
  
            "I'll take the same," Snape ordered. He turned his attention to Silas. "You're a bastard. Do you know that?"

            "Yet you still love me?"  
  
            "Was there ever any doubt? You know I'm madly in love with you."   
  
            "My, my. What will Jackie think?"  
  
            "Actually, she might be a little turned on."   
  
            "Enough! I'm getting hungry." Silas winked. "What about the meeting with the Potions bitch? How'd it go?"  
  
            "Oh, fine, fine…" Severus began softly. He smiled smugly. "You are looking at the newest Potions Master at Holms College of Apothecary."  
  
            "Sev is going back to school? The meal's on me, for the world's going to end!" Silas shouted, slapping his leg. He smiled at Snape. "I'm proud of you, I really am. And here, I'll even give you a gift." He reached into his pocket, milling around before finally pulling out a small woman's wedding ring and handing it to Severus. "Here."   
  
            "Aw, isn't this a little sudden though? What will Narcissa think?"  
  
            "Shut up."  
  
            "Whose is this anyways?"  
  
            "I think her name was Kara… or was it Tara…" Silas frowned. "You know, I think it might have been Mara."  
  
            Snape laughed. "Forced or willing?"  
  
            Silas gave him an innocent smile. "It's not nearly as fun when the woman says yes, Severus."  
  
            "You're a bastard sometimes, Silas. One day you're going to take the wrong man's woman." 

  
            "But today isn't that day," Silas announced, lifting his tea towards Severus in a toast. "Eat, drink, and be merry!"  
  
            Snape laughed. "For tomorrow you die!"  
  
            Silas winked at him. "Keep that ring.  It's a memento of one of my conquests."  
  
            Snape twirled the ring in his hand. It was a simple diamond solitaire, plain compared to most wedding rings he had seen, but engraved on the inside was a message to a Sara from someone named Brant. The band was tarnished from age, and Snape wondered briefly what was running through Sara's mind at this moment. It was probably the same things his own victim, Kaleigh, must have thought after he raped her.  
  
            But no, he corrected himself. Silas never raped anyone, nor had he. Rape wasn't the word used in their circle. There were many terms used in jest about the deed, but rape was never one.  
  
            Just like sin and crime weren't used.  
  
            Snape put down his drink suddenly and looked out the window. He wasn't like them, he told himself. What happened with Kaleigh that night had been a one-time deed. He was not being changed by the Death Eaters. He was still an Auror…  
  
            "You know, Severus…" Silas' interrupted his daydream. "Now that you work at Holms, you might want to open up Akel Dama again."  
  
            "What?"  
  
            "I said, it's time you opened Akel Dama up," Silas repeated. "It's time you gave up the past."  
  
            Snape grimaced slightly. All of his uniforms, and the clothing and belongings of Billy, Dahlia, and Dora, were still packed up and waiting at Akel Dama for him to go through. He hadn't dared go near the house, treating the boxes as he did his memories, hoping that they would go away if he ignored them long enough. "I haven't left Hecate. I'm just…"  
  
            "I know, I know." Silas nodded. "On sabbatical."  
  
            "Besides, I haven't had the strength to pack up."  
  
            "It's about time you do. It's time to enjoy the pleasures of your fall."  
  
            "There you again," Severus joked. "Who said I fell?"  
  
            "Everyone already knows it, Severus, even if you don't. Now come on, I'll help you pack."  
  
            "No, I want to do it alone."  
  
            "But I can help move it along."  
  
            "Like you helped move my falling along?" Snape asked playfully. He would let Silas believe what he wanted to. Severus knew what was in his heart.  
  
            "Exactly like that," Silas cooed. He leaned over and patted his friend's thigh. "Let me at least keep you company. Akel Dama's a big house, and I haven't seen Babbitt in years."  
  
            "And I can't talk you out of it?"  
  
            "Not a chance." Silas smirked as the food arrived. "Now let's eat. I have some last minute meetings with Riddle, but I'll meet you at Akel Dama later this evening. I've got a surprise for you."  
  
            "A surprise?"  
  
"Yes, and trust me, you won't believe your eyes."  
  
  
            A town surrounded Hecate Compound, and although it was almost entirely Muggle, it was a proud protector of its wizarding school. Most Muggles that lived in Mage's Weir paid little attention to the robed visitors that appeared in the town from time to time, although shops and restaurants were known to give discounts to these visitors. They viewed their Aurors as silent guardians, and therefore held the same loyalty and respect for them they would normally give to police or the army. The Aurors were both humbled by it and relieved that there was one place they could go to feel remotely human.  
  
  
            And at places like the barbeque pit Sick Dick's, everyone felt at home. Old Dick, a retired Auror himself, was a gracious host. He welcomed each guest personally and knew most by name. He remembered birthdays, weddings, all the gossip, and about anything else under the sun that was uttered in his place. The walls were filled with pictures, trinkets (including discarded wands), and messages to Dick. He was known to give out free food to women he thought had a cute butt, or some other piece of anatomy. He was not above the dirty joke or lingering hand, and as long as his wife didn't see him, he could get away with it. It was all in good fun after all. Inside this old, fading building, joy could be enjoyed in relative peace.  
  
            Which is why so many Aurors flocked to it these days.  
  
            Sydney was sitting at the head of the table, with Amissa on his right and Jude on his left, followed by Sky next to Jude and, beside Amissa, Ari, with Jean Andre at the foot of the table. Plates full of food were spread across the table, no one bothering to be content with just what they ordered. Everyone was drinking (expect Sydney, who was nursing tea), and laughter filled the room as the friends basked in each other's company.  
  
            "To success," Sky Falls shouted, raising her glass. "Get on her and stay on her!"  
  
            Jude lifted his glass. "To luck!"  
  
            "To hope!" Jean called, drinking his brandy.  
  
            "May all those things find us." Sydney stood, raising his glass. "And may we be in good health when they do."  
  
            "And may it find Severus, wherever he's at," Amissa added.  
  
            There was the briefest silence at the table before Jude leaned over to Ari. "Come on, Angel, give us your toast!"  
  
            The woman looked up, smiled, but shook her head, causing the people at the table to groan.  
  
            "Come on, Ari!" Sydney prodded. "Give us your toast."  
  
            "Is that an order?" she asked.  
  
            Jean lifted his drink. "It's a strong suggestion."  
  
            Ari met his eyes thoughtfully, her face showing no emotion. She shook her head and picked up her drink. "L'Chaim," she whispered, tilting the glass. "To life."  
  
            Sky took a drink. "Amen."  
  
            Jean reached over and patted Ari's shoulder, bringing her closer to him. Jude flinched visibly at the sign of closeness between the two Kaga and rose suddenly, pulling his cigarettes and walking outside to enjoy a smoke. Ari pulled away from Jean's embrace and followed Jude.  
  
            Amissa frowned. "What do you think that was about?"  
  
            "Jude has an…interest in Ari." Jean grimaced. "Has for a while, even when Alex and her were a couple."  
  
            "You seem kind of jealous about that," Sky noticed. "Any reason?"  
  
            "That's none of your business," Jean said, sounding angry.  
  
            "Besides," Amissa interjected in a soothing voice, "she loves Severus."  
  
            "That's what I'm afraid of." Jean was staring pass Amissa. "She loves him so much it's killing her."  
  
            "What are you talking about?"  
  
            "She was never sent after the vampires. She went looking for them."  
  
            "Into a vampire nest?" Sky exclaimed. "Why on earth would she…"  
  
            "Because," Jean said, inhaling deeply, "she was looking for Reiner."  
  
            "Alex's uncle? Why would he be important?"  
  
            "Because if Severus was planning on disappearing, he'd make sure he took care of loose ends," Sydney muttered. "Devil take it all…Why didn't I see it?"  
  
            "See what?" Sky asked. "What's going on?"  
  
            "Before Billy died, the case we were working on…We were trying to uncover a possible link between the Death Eaters and Daniel. Malachi thought that the vampires had somehow united with Voldemort, and during the course of the investigation the names of some of Alex's old schoolmates came up. He was…He didn't take it well." Sydney shook his head. He looked angry with himself for not seeing it sooner. "Ari said Daniel had been wiped out…Damn it!"  
  
            "What?"  
  
            Amissa paled, leaning back. "Severus must have gone on his own quest to clean out the vampire nest. He probably traced the vampires back to the Death Eaters."  
  
            "That's what Ari was counting on," Jean supplied. "She was trying to follow the trail. I've been in touch with Dumbledore." He ignored Amissa's heated look. "He says Ari's been tearing up the underworld trying to find any whisper of Severus' location. Before she was attacked, she had a tip about a bar in Calais that Death Eaters were known to frequent. She was on her way to the bar when Isaiah and the others attacked her. She barely survived…Some guy named Diego pulled her out of it."  
  
            "So you were right," Amissa said, burying her head into Sydney's shoulder. "She's killing herself looking for him."  
  
            "Worse, I don't think she'll ever stop looking for him**,**" Jean said softly. He brought his drink to his lips and let it rest there. He felt a responsibility to his fellow Kaga, but there was so much more to it than that. He cared for her, and it pained him to see her destroy herself like this. He shook his head. He wouldn't let Ari damn herself to hell for one man.  
  
            Even if it meant he had to go into hell to stop her.  
  
  
            Severus picked up the coat and held it at arm's length to examine it. Each time an Auror served non-combat duty, he was expected to wear his Class A uniform: a full-length navy coat that was tailored to his body, over trousers of the same color and black, polished shoes. Severus had hated that uniform because it was painfully hot to wear, especially during the summers, but now he felt a little naked without it. 

            He smiled at the uniform, folding it with all the crisp precision and respect he had been taught it was due during boot camp. He sighed, placed it in the wardrobe, and continued with the next. He had worked quickly and deftly, putting away the uniforms, and half fearing that touching such a tangible symbol of his past life would bring back doubts of his current mission. He had already broken down a few times while packing Dora's clothing away. He didn't think one child, so small and so simple as Dora, could possibly have touched him so but she had. She, her father, and her mother had opened up a new world to Severus, one where he had been a brother, husband…  
  
  
            And father.  
  
            When Dora was with him, he wanted nothing more than for her to understand she was not his child, and now all he longed for was to hold her one last time.  
  
            "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Dora," he whispered, before going back and picking up the last of his uniforms. "But I won't fail next time."  
  
            It was a pitch-black uniform, worn during combat duty, a long coat that looked like it'd be better suited on a Jesuit priest than on a soldier.  
  
            He must have picked up it too quickly**,** because as he turned away something metallic fell from a pocket, clattering on the floor. He turned back and stared at the ring.

  
            His wedding band.  
  
            He crossed the room slowly, eyeing the silver band carefully. He leaned down and picked up the ring, holding it between his fingers. It was white gold and engraved on the inside with a Bible verse, Psalm 91:11.  
  
            "For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all of your ways." He recited it from memory. He smiled, ruefully. "Ari…"  
  
            The Kaga had given him the ring on the eve of his 'marriage' to Dahlia. He had kept in a hidden pocket of his uniform, over his heart. He closed his eyes, clutching the ring in his palm. She had been called Angel long before he had come into her life, and indeed, a union between the great Morning Star and his own guardian Angel seemed fitting. And why not? Both of them had been, in every way, angelic warriors- both of them had been beautiful and deadly, impassive and passionate.  
  
            He sighed, looking away. He missed her, but couldn't do anything about that. Not now. Not yet. He took comfort in her strength, knowing that despite his pain and longing, she would remain as steadfast to her post as ever.  
  
            And one day, when he returned, she'd be waiting for him.  
  
  
            "He's in love with an angel," Silas whispered to the woman beside him as they approached the gates of Akel Dama.  
  
            The cloaked figure never faltered and when she spoke, it was in a cool voice, devoid of any emotion. "Most saints are like that."  
  
            "You'll have to fix that."  
  
            "I don't think I'm the right person for this, Silas. You should leave it to Jacqueline. This is her arena, not mine."  
  
            "Severus has Jackie in his arms, and that's fine, but he's a fool who believes in ideals and, above all else, hope. To destroy that, I need to appeal not to his ideals, but to his desires…and who does he desire more than you?"  
  
            Melanie Reyes pulled down her hood and took in Akel Dama for the first time. As school-aged lovers, Severus had often spoken of the home's beauty and the future they would have together. Now she could see he wasn't lying. She brought her eyes to the main doors and thought about the man inside the house.  
  
            As a boy, he had been utterly entranced by her. She possessed a darkness he understood, and in turn he was tender to her, something she never before experienced. She went to Hogwarts for the sole purpose of gathering information on the people there, but through that mission she allowed herself Severus. She loved him, in every way possible for her to, but that had not been enough for her to stay when Lord Voldemort had beckoned her back to his side.  
  
            Because as much as she cared for Severus, she loved Voldemort more.  
  
   
            And now she was being used to damn Severus. Nobody knew of Silas' plan to use her to keep Severus with the Death Eaters, not even Jackie. She had only agreed because of some vague, lingering attachment to the man inside this house. She wanted to see him again, but she didn't know if that was because she still loved him or because she was just curious about what had become of the child she had known.  
  
            "I know how he feels for you, still," Silas was saying. "You will be his undoing."  
  
            "And he will be yours," Melanie whispered softly, mostly to herself. She took a step towards the house, frowning. "Your time at Voldemort's right hand is at an end."  
  
            "That's a bit much, don't you think?" Silas laughed, crossing his arms. "You're forgetting that he's an Auror, Mel. His own code will never let him rise to a position of power among the Death Eaters."  
  
            "And you're forgetting that he hates, and that's really all he'll need to replace you. You see, Silas, you have cruelty, but no art, no reason or cause. He has both cruelty and cause, and he'll destroy you."  
  
            "And what could he possibly hate enough to destroy me?"  
  
            "After all this?" she murmured. "Himself."  
  
            Silas watched her as she pulled up the hem of her dress and climbed up the stairs leading to Akel Dama. Melanie was perhaps the only woman in the entire underworld that he hadn't shared a bed with, and that caused no end of pain for him. She believed herself untouchable and taunted him with her distance. Her brashness insulted him, infuriated him, and he sought nothing more on earth than to conquer her.  
  
            But he'd have to grit his teeth, bite his tongue, and wait. She'd make a mistake soon enough, and before she even realized it she'd have nowhere to turn to but him. That is how he would conquer her. Her and anyone else who stood in his way.  
  
            Exhaling, he threw his cloak over his shoulder and followed her up the stairs.  
  
            Inside, time and earth had stood still. Snape had his hands resting on Melanie's shoulders and was pulling her into a long kiss. When he finally pulled away, he looked at Silas, wide-eyed and overjoyed.  
  
            "Silas?" the young man asked. "Did you know…"  
  
            Silas smiled at him. "Surprise."  
  
            "Thank you." 

  
            "That's nothing, Severus. I have another gift, from Lord Voldemort himself."  
  
            "What?"  
  
            Silas walked towards him, placing his arms on Severus' shoulders, much like the other man had done to Melanie. He looked deep into Severus' eyes, holding the gaze a second longer than he should have. Severus visibly flinched under the man's stare, as if emotions were beginning to swirl because of the closeness. Then Silas leaned in, mimicking Severus' earlier movements, and kissed him softly on the lips. He closed his eyes, savoring a touch that ended too quickly, as moments later Severus pulled away, a polite look of confusion on his face. Melanie met Silas' eyes with a knowing look that he ignored. He leaned in closer, pressing his cheek against Severus' and whispered.

  
            "Jude Remington."  
  
            The look on the Auror's face was one of bewilderment and hurt. He took a step back, as if he had been struck.  
  
            And there it was. The name of the man who had betrayed his squad and everything he had stood for. Alexander stared at Silas, disbelieving and stunned. He closed his eyes, feeling his anger renew itself. After a year of waiting, he finally had what he came for. The name of the traitor, of the man who had killed his family.  
  
            It was almost too easy.  
  
            "That's not all, Severus." Silas broke his musings. "Lord Voldemort asks me to inform you that not only does he give you the name of his mole, but the man's head as well."  
  
            "What does Lord Voldemort get in return?"  
  
            "You'll see," Silas assured him.  
  
            Alexander shook his head. "How?"  
  
            "An attack on Hecate," Melanie explained, reaching over and folding her arm into his. "It'll be a direct attack against the wing that houses your old squad. You were in charge of prisoner questioning, correct?"  
  
            "Yes."  
  
            "Therefore, the attack will be considered nothing more than the Death Eaters attempting a jailbreak. Jude is a tragic victim of war, and what little chaos that will follow apparently stirs something in your heart that causes you to come out of hiding and return to your squad a renewed man," Melanie continued, her soft voice winning her way back into his heart.  
  
            Snape felt sick to his stomach and knew he had paled. He shook his head. "How…how will we get in?"  
  
            "Jude himself has given us information on entering Hecate undetected." Silas nodded. "We'll have a window of half an hour."  
  
            "Even with that insider information, attacking Hecate will not be the safest of plans."  
  
            "No," Silas agreed. "Which is why it's going to be early on the day after Halloween. Six o'clock to be exact. It's…"  
  
            "The Day of the Dead," Severus answered for him. "The only holiday Aurors really celebrate. It's a Hispanic holiday, one of remembering the dead…Most of Hecate will be closed off." He bowed his head. "The Compound will be unguarded and unprepared. They'll never see us coming."   
  
            "So now's the moment of truth, Auror." Silas asked, "Are you in or out?"  
  
            Severus slid into a chair, resting his head in his hands. He folded his fingers together and thought about everything.  
  
            Hecate, for all her sins and faults, represented everything he believed in and stood for. Despite all her imperfection, Hecate was still home. His earliest memories of his life had been of Hecate, of the navy-colored uniforms and the sadness that seemed to fill the eyes of all Aurors.  
  
            How could he attack it? Wouldn't that make him nothing more than a Judas?  
  
            He thought of his father, Kaiser, standing bold in the uniform. How pained Kaiser had seemed at times, how sad and burdened, but never failing to do his duty.  
  
            And that's what this was about. This was not about a building. This was about duty.  
  
            The dedication that justice be done, even as the heavens fell.  
  
            Looking up, Severus met Silas' eyes. "Do I get to wear a mask?" 


	24. Day of the Dead

Author's Notes: Yes, as a matter of fact, I am updating on the day after the new HP book because frankly, I won't get in trouble so much for not doing it in such a long time. As I am the only the kid on the block who HASN'T read it to completion, I can't tell you for certain if I will incorporate SOME aspects into the story or not. Without further ado, read and enjoy.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Day of the Dead**

            The words would flow like blood from a fine wound about this day; words of denial, fear, anger, pain, hurt, and despair. Words that would be murmured like some sort of feverish mantra meant to keep nighttime evils at bay. Words from the dying and dead, screaming for recognition and a reason for their sacrifice, words from those left behind demanding to know why. Words would be screamed to deaf ears demanding reason and retribution, forgiveness and forgetfulness, damnation and redemption, reason and rhyme, purpose and answers.

In the days to come, from well-meaning men who hadn't who hadn't live through this nightmare words like tragedy, and misfortune would be used in an attempt to describe it. Politicians and reporters would use glittering words and delicate terms to explain what the survivors were feeling. The words used then would be magical in their own right- they would bind the evils of the day and make them smaller, easier to understand, easier to cope with it.  

Because of this, the day would take on an epic feel, leaving people with a feeling of awe, something mythic and surreal. 

But to those who lived through that day, words seemed meaningless. 

Across the globe, Aurors were driven to the brink of annihilation. Places of refuges, bases, and homes were targeted; from the private residences of famous and renowned Aurors to the Auror base in the English Ministry of Magic before Hecate herself was besieged. 

The powerful Compound reared up like a wounded animal but found she was unable to defend herself from the onslaught. Her pristine white halls were painted with blood, the air poisoned with smoke and a melee of chaotic, panicked words played like macabre symphony. 

            It was music to Silas Malfoy's ears. 

            He walked through Hecate with his hands raised; one held his wand, the other was clapped over his mouth to fight off the odor. All around him, Death Eaters were openly challenging Auror superiority and winning. 

            And as the mastermind behind this all, Silas was making the nations tremble, a thought that gave him no end of joy. After this was all over, he would be Voldemort great heir. The thought made him smile under his white mask.  

His musing was interrupted by a low, throaty growl. He paused and turned. "Is there a problem?"

            The werewolf was standing tense, fingers outstretched in front of him as if he were transformed and waiting for a kill. Silas felt a twinge of unease being so close to such a violently hungry animal, and forced himself to remember that despite Ezra's clear, human eyes and handsome face, he was still nothing but a monster. Ezra looked back. "Jude's here."

            "Good dog," Silas murmured. "Can you be more specific?"

            "Near…and a woman is with him."

"Oh, this does get more interesting, doesn't it?" Lucius Malfoy mused behind them, "Silas? Will you be doing naughty things?"

"Of course." 

"Both of you, silence." Imre Macardit ordered, tersely. Instantly the Malfoy brothers quieted and Imre motioned for Ezra to continue with his hunt. 

            Imre's allegiance to Lord Voldemort had always been that of opportunity. Despite his outer appearance, he was believed to be the oldest living Dark Wizard in the world, even though his exact age was unknown. Rumors claimed he was a Necromancer, or some sort of vampire that feed on the souls of others to remain strong and alive. To each of these rumors, Imre would smile but say nothing. He didn't need to explain himself. His business was with Voldemort only, and what he could get from this would-be lord. Voldemort wanted immortality and a supreme Death Eater, one who could act as Voldemort's hand in matters. Imre had given him both.

            In exchange, Imre was receiving something from this bloodbath that only someone with his unique gifts could fully appreciate. He smiled softly, in anticipation. He glanced back, studying the motley crew he was with. Apart from Ezra, Silas, and Lucius, there were two other men. It was their happy duty to find Hecate's records and discover whatever little secrets the Compound might have to share. 

            But walking with this group, Imre couldn't help but feel something was lacking. While each man was unique and talented in his own right, and together they were even better, absent from the troupe was Voldemort's very own Kaga Companion, and the only one man in the  entire underworld Imre trusted completely, Eoin Malone.

            Like Imre, Eoin Malone's exact reasons for being with Voldemort was a mystery. The man was about twenty years of age, had skin the color of tanned leather and gray eyes that at first appeared green. His hair was so black that it looked blue, and he was well built, stronger then most men. He always courteous, thoughtful, and quiet, considered shy by some.       

            Eoin carried himself with the same amount of clam that penetrated the air before a storm. When in a crowded room, he would retire to a corner near the exit and watch with a sort of curious gaze as if he was experiencing this for the first time, every time.

            And it was that stillness that made Imre trust him.

            The Necromancer shifted as he recalled the events earlier in the day. This morning for the first time ever, Imre noticed Eoin had been angry and had approached him about it.

            "You don't look well." Imre had said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were nervous about today."

            Eoin folded his arms in front of him and said nothing. Imre began to circle around the man. For a time both regarded each other and then, becoming annoyed, Eoin spoke. "I am not taking part in this attack, Archimage."

            "Then what business have you with us, Co-Walker?"

            "I've come to see the man who will be damned." Eoin motioned to the young Auror who was waiting on the balcony, ignorant to all that was happening in the room. Severus was pacing like a trapped animal, muttering to himself as if he was talking with some specter. "He doesn't know what you and Voldemort are planning, does he?"

            "Wisely, he doesn't. He would never agree to it if he did."

            "I wonder if it is too late for him." Eoin mused, stepping forward. "What would happen, mage, if I warned your would-be general?"           

            "He wouldn't listen. This is his fight."

            "It is a fight he will lose."

            "Perhaps, what do you care?" The Kaga glanced at him but became silent. Imre took his chance to draw his own conclusions. He picked up his cane and pointed at Eoin's chest. "Perhaps you recognize something in this man?"

            "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Oh it's a story I heard once before.  An old legend told many times over, about a young man who left the place of his birth, his destined path and went in search of…who knows? Perhaps, it is wisdom or wealth, or love, or kith and kin. Perhaps, he was just looking for himself, but his reasons aren't important. It's the journey that I remember, the destination. This man does become a great warrior, yes but it is not how it was foreseen and while maybe he doesn't regret his choice to leave...he remembers those left behind." Imre shook his head. "Now this is where I forget the story; who did he leave behind?"

            "His twin sister," Eoin answered, "who lingers still in the land he forsook."

            "What's her name?"

            "We called her Angel." 

            "Well, isn't this a sight!" Silas announced triumphantly. He had kicked open the door to a private room and sent Jude and the woman he was with scrambling for clothes and cover. Ezra shrank back to a corner to watch the festivities. Jude was cursing as he scrambled to the far corner of the room, towards his wand.

            "Oh, don't do that." Silas chided softly as Ezra snapped at Jude, bearing his teeth. The Auror shrank back, frightened.  "I would hate to kill you before Severus had a chance to do."  The woman faltered then, an action not overlook by Silas. He turned, taking in the woman for the first time and nodding in appreciation. "This is a beautiful creature, indeed." He complimented, glancing at Jude. "Yours?"

            "Angel," Jude called softly, backing into a wall and keeping his eyes on Ezra. "Go, now…please."

            "Oh, charming. Heroics before your death."

            "You promised, Silas. You said I'd get anything…leave her alone."

            "Yes, I did. But, everything does come with a price, does it not?" Silas smirked and brought his attention to the woman, "Now, he called you Angel, didn't he? Tell me Angel, is it true he snores in his sleep?" 

            What happened next took Silas by surprise; the woman darted to the far corner to her dresser, where a display of Japanese swords rested. Pulling the smaller of two, she drove her full weight into Lucius who had the misfortune of being nearest to her. He dodged the first thrust she made, recovering only long enough to catch his breath before she drove a sharp kick into his midsection. Silas shouted to the two others to attack her while he stepped back in surprise.

            It took a moment for Imre to break away from the trance he entered as he watched her but finally Imre chose to act. He picked up his cane and advanced to the woman who was wearing only a thin camisole and underwear; she was backed against a corner but seemed to have no trouble defending herself against the two men. There was a fluidity in her Imre had only seen in Eoin, a skill that made intense fighting seem melodic and choreographed. As the larger of the two men rushed forward, she stepped to the side like a matador to avoid the brunt force, and then brought her elbow down hard on his spine. Imre heard a sharp crack that caused him to flinch slightly as the woman turned on him. 

            "That's right Angel, you want to fight someone who's worthy of you." He whispered.

            Her eyes were narrowed but she was moving with the same stillness of her brother. She paused only to readjust her grip on the sword's blade. "Where's Severus?" She demanded.

            Understanding dawned on Imre, causing the Necromancer to smile. "Oh," he cooed, eyes flickering to the vampire bites  that tore her shoulders. "It appears Eoin's Angel and Severus' is one and the same."

            Again, the woman's expression faltered. "How do you know Eoin?" 

            "He's the one who showed us how to get in."

            "You liar!" She shouted, enraged as she charged towards him. Because her anger clouded her judgment, Imre easily blocked her charge. He slammed his cane hard across her back; mirroring much of what she had done to Crabbe- only he brought the cane down harder, and with more force. The cane splintered and the woman fell to the floor, dazed by the hit.

            "Silas!" Jude screamed in desperation. Ezra had Jude's massive arms behind his back but that didn't stop him from struggling against the werewolf. "Silas, leave her out of this!"

            "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, Judas." Silas walked towards Imre, hands folded in front of him, with that calm, pleased look he always got before a kill. "My, my, a beautiful creature to be sure." He tilted his head, putting his boot on of her arms as he kneeled down to tug at her shirt. He pulled it down slightly to revealed her tattooed back. "Wings?" He mused. He chuckled slightly. "That's what Severus use to call you, wasn't it? He talked about you often, you know- over cups of tea and brandy when we'd plot and plan behind Hecate's back. He was a very useful little mole but now, he's decided to return home…" He leaned down so he could be close to her ear. "And I'm afraid he doesn't really remember you much anymore…except for your taste. He said you tasted delicious, and you know…I must admit, I'm somewhat curious."

            The woman screamed in anger and desperation, turning over quickly and bringing up the small sword, slashing blindly. Silas howled in pain as he fell back, clutching his left hand. On the floor next to the woman were his pinky and ring finger. Blinded by rage and fury, Silas turned to beating the woman senseless, throwing the sword to Lucius. He picked up the woman by the hair after a powerful jab to her temple had silenced her. He dragged the limp body to the bed and tossed it there, before turning angrily to Imre. 

            "Damn you, Silas!" Jude was struggling against Ezra but was outnumbered. "Leave her alone."

            "This bitch needs to learn her place," Silas barked viciously, tearing at the woman's shirt. "And me and my boys are going to teach her that. Wake up, whore, wake up!" He ordered, slapping her until she moaned softly. "That's right, bitch. I want you to be awake for everything that comes next."

            Jude pulled against Ezra one final time, bringing him to the ground. "Don't you dare!"

            "Ezra, stay here and enjoy the goods. Imre, take this Auror to his judgment."

            "With pleasure." Ezra released Jude into Imre's grasp. Imre had to curse Jude to get the Auror to calm down and walk with him down the smoke filled halls. 

            The blunt of the fighting had already ended, per Jackie and Silas' instructions and now, apart from Silas' party, the only Death Eaters left at Hecate were the dead or dying. The only exception to that rule would probably be Jack the Ripper who couldn't resist finding some big, tall Auror to carve up. As Imre walked, he could feel the dead calling to him, empowering him with a sense of almost drunken ecstasy. The Necromancer closed his eyes against the call and wished he had his cane to lean on. The sound of each dying soul rang out like a bell chime, crying out for him to use his, the darkest of arts, to prolong life for a moment longer. Some souls, especially of those young and vigorous screamed louder then the rest. And each voice seemed to be saying the same thing.

            _No, I can't die. Not here, not yet…not like this. I can't die here…_

            He ignored the voices as best he could until he heard one resounding above the rest. The voice belonged to a man very near death, but was fighting to stay conscience, stay alive. It seemed tethered to this earth by some need or desire it had yet to fulfill. Usually, Imre would let such a spirit would become a ghost if it held on long enough but this one caught his attention. Despite the spirit's pain, it's total despair, it was clinging to life but a life that at the same time was something deeper then a mere existence. This spirit seemed almost like Imre's own. There was something immortal about it, as if he could fathom destiny and fate.

            Or as if he understand eternity in just a touch.

            Imre decided to seek out this spirit as quickly as he could and when he reached the designated door, he opened it quickly and threw Jude unceremoniously in.

            After all, he had a prize to claim.

            The room would have been better described as  a cell. It was pitch black inside, with no windows and thick soundproof walls that blocked out any outside activity. Jude had been in rooms like this one many times before, with Alex as they interrogated the more problem criminals. This was the type of room that never got shown on public tours of Hecate, this was where a sort of street justice was meted out to those the Aurors thought worthy of such a fate. This was the room of Judas Judgments and torture although neither terms were used in the neat and polished world of Hecate Compound.  This room was one of those people kept skeletons in. This was the room no one talked about, like the dark corner of your soul that you don't admit is there but secretly know the truth.

            This was the place where all your nightmares came true, partially because no one could hear you scream.

            It took Jude a moment to sit up straight, and shake off the effects of the curse. He rubbed his wrists wearily, and squinted as he tried to gain some sense of reality. The smell, sights and sounds of war were vacant from this room and he was almost tempted to forget they even existed at all.

            That was, however, until he heard a calm, quiet voice from the corner of the room.

            "Hello, Judas."

            He wasn't quite sure if he ever got to scream.


	25. Cry Holyland

Author's Note: Here's the edited version. Chapter Twenty-five: Cry Holy land 

Amissa Moon had awakened to spicy smell of her fiancée's cologne. She had opened her eyes to the vision of Sydney Van Ness leaning a few inches above her face, smiling, and kissing her softly awake. She reached up and rubbed his arms.

"I had a dream about you." She whispered. "You were old and gray and I was teasing you."

"I am old and gray and you do tease me."

"Well, my dreams have an odd way of coming true, don't they?"

"I suppose so." Sydney nodded, brushing back her hair. "I love you." He said, as something dark danced across his face. "Don't ever forget I love you."

"Like I ever could, you talk about it all the time." She sat up and pulled him into her lap. She drew her hands down his chest and looked around. "What time is it?"

"Six in the morning." He answered, checking the pocket watch on the nightstand. It was a gift from his mentor, Kaiser Snape, and the only tangible reminder he had from his first squad. Sydney drew his fingers over the fine craftsmanship, then, without looking up, added. "You've given me great happiness. I want you to know that."

Amissa sat up, frowning because of his tone. "Are you alright, Syd? You seem…distracted."

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep love, I won't be long." 

"Oh no, you aren't going into work."  She smiled at him, seductively and curled back into the bed. "We've got our own work to do. We have babies to make."

            Again, something dark crossed his face. "I should be at Hecate, they'll need me."

"Fine, but you're going to make it up to me…leaving your watch?" She asked. "You never do that."

"Keep it for me." He pulled on his navy coat and smoothed it out. He stared at himself in the mirror, slicking back his hair and stood at attention. Amissa watched him, realizing for the first time how old he looked as she studied the care that was written on his face. He had lost many and the years seemed to collect in his eyes, dulling them but he could take pride in the fact he had preformed his duties proudly.

When he looked back at Amissa, there was something behind those eyes she feared. She felt something, somewhere deep in her bones, and noticed the way he walked was weighted. 

"That none shall perish." He whispered, in a tone that could be described as sad. He smiled at Amissa again and kissed her one last time. "I'll see you up top."

Amissa watched him go, and drew her fingers over her lips. His kiss had been salty. 

That had been one week ago.

That had been the last time she saw Sydney alive.

Now, he and hundreds of others just like him, were lost, missing somewhere in the rubble that was Hecate Compound.

"Merciful God, who dwells on high and in our hearts, grant prefect peace to the souls of our martyrs who gave their lives…" 

The words of Malachi Smith broke Amissa's daydreaming and brought her back to the present, back to the truth and the pain. In the still November night, his voice was strong, and somber in it's tone, and danced with emotion that threatened to break forth but dared not because of the Auror's discipline. 

"…for the preservation of our people and for the redemption and protection of the Holy Land. May their heroism and sacrificial devotion be reflected in our thoughts and deeds. May their memory inspire us to live justly and kindly. May their souls be at peace; and may they be bound up in the bond of eternal life."

"Let us say: Amen."  Amissa whispered softly. 

Malachi closed his eyes. "Amen."

Amissa leaned over and took him into her arms. She pressed closer to his back, desperate for some form of comfort but finding none in the old soldier.

Malachi was a walking shell, and had been since that damnable day. "I remember my father coming home from the first war without an arm…he use to say that his blood had ensured there would never be another. Then, as a youth, I remember hearing the German's angry voice, screaming for another war. I saw them come. I saw my family taken but there was no blood to seal peace, there was only the smoke. They said that should have been enough blood. That should have been enough lost."

"Don't talk about it, grandpa." Amissa whispered, closing her eyes to the tears. 

Malachi kept speaking in his fevered, soft, but proud voice. He was rubbing a finger over his left forearm, where a faded tattooed number line was etched into his skin. "I have seen the horrors of men, and the evil of gods. I've seen the heavens burn. When the Aurors found me, I was a child and couldn't save my family from it…but this time, I was a man, and I was a soldier. I don't understand. Why couldn't I stop it this time?"

            "I don't know."

            He inhaled, bringing himself up and finally looking at her. "What happened?"

            "David passed away this morning."

            The old soldier's face darkened. "What does that make it?"

            "He was the last of Santee's squad. That just leaves Stallens and Rico's squads." 

            "One must admire the Death Eater's severity, they wanted the Unspeakables dead and they've succeeded. We're no more."

            "You are rebuilding."

            "You are, I don't anymore blood to give to wars, no more sons to sacrifice."

            "The Aurors need you now more then ever."

            "I can't." Malachi bowed his head, shaking terribly. "I'm sorry but I cannot."

            Amissa didn't press the issue. She simply took his arm and guided him towards the makeshift medical ward. In truth, she couldn't blame Malachi for his choice because she would have done the same thing. Out of all the Master of Arms, Malachi's command had been the hardest hit. He had overseen the interrogations in Hecate Compound and of his Aurors; only a quarter of them had survived.

If one could call it survival. 

"Come on, trust me." Jean Andre's voice was calm, and comfortable. He was dressed in the light blue tunic of a medic. He was back to his true self, light brown hair littered with gray despite his young age, and hazel eyes that glistened with the same grim determination that marked all those who sought to rebuild Hecate Compound. "Sky, trust me."

Sky Falls was holding tight to the back of a chair. She had yet to don her navy uniform again, and was dressed instead in the simple white of patients. Her blond hair was pulled into a bun, away from the white bandages that covered her eyes. 

            She had been found with Jude Remington, or what was left of him, in the interrogation cell. The Master at Arms Victoria Hawke had been the first to recover and had allied those available Aurors to counter the Death Eaters. Sky had been with her. Both women had fought the man who had killed Jude.

            The man barely survived with his life, but he took Victoria's hand with him.

            And Sky would never see another thing in her life.

            "You can trust me, Sky." Sky sighed heavily, and released the chair. She stumbled slightly then walked slowly towards Jean's voice. He smiled brightly. "That's right, sweet one…just come to me."

            "You're on your feet again." Amissa remarked, as they came nearer to Jean and Sky. "I'm glad to hear it."

            "Amissa? Is that you?"

            "That's right, honey."

            "Where's Malachi?"

            "I was praying." Malachi finally spoke. He reached over, letting Sky find his arms and curl into them. "There's a lot of that going around, isn't there?" Jean said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Amissa kept flinching when she looked at Andre's face. Beautifully made as always, it now lacked the similarity to her friend, Alexander. He seemed to realize her awkwardness and smiled, "I can leave if you want me too, Mistress."

            "No, Alex…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to stare."

            "Don't worry about it." He laughed, softly before turning his attention back towards the main entrance. His smile widened even more. "Erised!"

            Malachi's face brightened when he saw the Kaga enter. He smiled at Amissa, speaking in a hushed tone. "Oh, Amissa…you better find Billy. Ari's going to kill him if he's late for another staff meeting."

            Amissa stared at him, carefully. She stole glances at Jean and Sky before nodding. "I'm sure she already knows where's he's at, Grandpa."

            He looked at her with a sort of confused, pitiful look. "Right. Of course…" He smiled. "My Angel is prepared for everything."

            Erised was wearing a Kaga uniform and her hair pulled back into tight bun as if she tried to appear as professional as possible, despite her battered appearance. The right side of her face was swollen from the thick bruises from the savage fight. There was a large white bandaged that covered most of her neck, most of them discolored from the wounds that she had aggravated. 

            Jean Andre, himself beaten and near death, had ripped apart Hecate looking for her. He found her naked, and bleeding out from a large wound on her neck. He had barely gotten her to the medics in time, saving both her life and her ability to speak.

            Although right now the extent of her speech was short ragged sentences with a thick raspy undertone that seemed to cause her great pain.  "The High Council has just adjourned." 

            "What's going on?"

            "Hecate Compound is shut down until reconstruction. Everything is being moved to Arsan Duolai."

            "What about our wing?" Sky asked. "When can we go back to work?"

            "The Council has condemned the Interrogation wing. You're going to be moved with Troop Placement." Erised forced out. "They've put Alastor Moody in charge until a suitable replacement is found."

            Amissa felt something well up in her throat and she had to turn away to keep from crying. "That was supposed to be Sydney's job."

            "Jude was going to be right behind him." Sky said, dully. "But…"

            "He's at peace now, Alexander as well." Jean whispered. He looked up, smiling with tender assurance. "They've all gone to see Billy, so it's alright now. The old squad's back together again."

            "Snape's still alive." Ari said, coldly. In truth, she was thinking the same thing that was nestled quietly in the back of everyone else's mind. She looked up. "How lucky for him."

            "Ari, he probably doesn't know what's happened…" Jean defended. 

            She turned and met his eyes fiercely. "How could he not know? Haven't you been paying attention? Hecate is DEAD, Jean. Every magical newspaper in the world is proclaiming it so how could the great Morning Star not know it?"

            Sky buried her head in Amissa's shoulder. "Erised, don't say such things."

            "Why not? It's the truth. Jude was right about him. He's not coming back because he doesn't give a damn about what's happened…" The ragged voice broke. "Because he's brought this upon us!"

            "Enough!" Amissa shouted, her voice turning cold. "Watch your words, Ari. It's Alex you're talking about."

            "Yeah," She countered. "The one man from Malachi's squad that's come out of this unscathed." 

            "Ari, that's not fair…he wasn't even here."  Sky whispered.

            Erised stared at her. "My point is made."

            Malachi's stern voice broke the tension. "Creature!" He hissed, calling Erised by a derogatory term. "Remember your place."

            "With permission then, sir, I'll remove myself."

            "Ari, don't go…" Jean pleaded, reaching out to her.

            "I'm not wanted here, Andre." She whispered as she walked out.

            Amissa watched the retreating woman with growing hatred. Her face burned with anger towards Erised, an anger that would not be appeased by allowing her to walk away like that. She cursed in Runic under her breath, and eased Sky away from her to follow. Ignoring Jean's pleas for her to stay. She stopped in the center of the hall and called out to Ari. "I thought you loved him."

            "You forget yourself, Madam." Erised stopped but didn't turn around.  "I don't love anything."

            "Kagas don't give a damn about anything or anyone, right? I must say you keep your training when it suits you…any other time, it's forgotten. When Severus was in your arms and Dora alive you seemed happy enough."

            "Don't even begin to speak about things you don't understand!" Erised tried to shout as she turned but with the wound, it came out weak. "Don't even dare!"

            "I don't know what it's like to lose someone I love?" Amissa demanded.

            "You don't know what it's like to lose those you were suppose to protect! You couldn't! You're just human filth, feeling childish pains because your lover is gone…you couldn't possibly know about what I'm feeling!"

            "You don't feel, Ari." Amissa said, closing the distance between them. "You just go through the movements like if they're some routine you should perform with a sword or wand. It's all just one ornate magic trick for you." 

            Erised was clenching her fists but Amissa didn't care. She was getting tired of this hard as nails routine so many of the Aurors were putting up. She was getting so very tired of the fact no one had stop and demanded to know why this evil had to have happened. She wanted to scream at the world, curse it and demanded it bring Sydney back to her. She wanted this to be a bad dream she could awaken from. 

            But it wasn't, and the fact that Erised didn't feel the same way she did, infuriated Amissa. 

            "You think you are so strong, so powerful, Hecate, but let me tell you something. You're nothing but a small, pathetic creature who thinks that if she plays tough no one will notice she's nothing but a flashy display of absolutely nothing."

            "I'm doing my job." Ari said, slowly. "That's all I owe you…"

            "No!" Amissa said, feeling her hatred renewed. "You owe Sydney, Jude, Billy, Dahlia, and Dora more then that!" 

            "I don't know who you're talking about." Ari said, simply.

            Amissa knew what she had done a moment after Erised had fallen to the floor. One moment, Erised had uttered that damnable phase that was so common to Aurors, and in the next Amissa's knuckles were hurting from meeting Ari's jaw. The Kaga fell, more stunned then injured. Ari stared at the blood that stained her fingers, just in time to block Amissa's next half-blinded swing. The woman took Amissa's arm, pinning it against her stomach. 

            Placing an arm over Amissa's neck, Erised whispered in a soft, dangerous voice. "Only the first one is free, milady."

            Amissa stared at Ari, not flinching. "When Billy died, he took the best part of you with him, didn't he? You know…I use to admire you, so brave no matter what. Severus would be gone for days on end without any news but you never faltered." Amissa allowed herself a small, contained laugh. "Now look at you…you're already dead, you just don't know it. Severus might have left us, but you've betrayed us in everyway possible."   

            "How am I the villain here?"

            "Because you won't even admit that you cared about them…" Amissa pushed Erised away from her. "And apathy is worst then abandonment, Angel."

            Ari watched Amissa leave, wanting with all her might to call after her, to rectify something but her pride made her mute. If she had nothing else, she had her pride. Ari felt a scream rush towards her throat but the pain her neck was too much and any cry she released sounded more like a gasp for air. Wrapping her arms around her fame, Ari began to choke on long, ragged sobs that were warped and still. She felt like screaming in desperation but knew she couldn't.

            Someone would hear.

            She couldn't let that happen. 

            No one could see her weak.

            But oh was she weak! She was scared, and torn, and pressed to the edge. Her loses over the past year had been too much to bear, even if she could only admit that to herself. 

            Billy and her had grown up together, closer to her then her own brother had been at times. She had been the one to push for his assignment to Malachi's squad. Dora had been her goddaughter. Sydney and Jude had watched over her like some little sister, forgetting it was her duty to protect them.

            And Alexander, she had loved, if it could be called that.

            "No." She said to herself, reciting to herself the old dogma that had kept her safe through every heartache. "Don't think about that."

            But even her training failed her, and the pain and fear continued. The Death Eaters had taken everything from her. They had killed many, including Billy, and would continue to do so, only now somewhere among their ranks, Alexander fought. 

            And they had took her. 

            This new villain, the one they were calling the ruler, had taken from her what she had given Alex out of love. But nobody knew that nor could they ever. 

            It would prove that she was weak, vulnerable. 

            Ari buried her head into hands, trying again without much success to quell the anguish welling up inside of her. 

            "Companion?"

            The voice was soft, torn, and scared and Erised knew it instantly. It belonged to her new charge, the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. She lifted her head, wiping the tears from her eyes to hide them.

            Dumbledore was standing slumped over, his hand on the wall to keep his stance. His eyes were dimmed and tear-streaked. He looked even older then he was and when he spoke, it proclaimed a powerlessness she was certain he had never shown to another person. 

            "So much death…" He whispered. "So much despair, who could make such evil?"

            He sounded like a child to Ari and with all her might, Erised wished she could answer him. Instead, she reached out and took his arm. He leaned into her, shaking his head. "I almost lost Victoria to this…"

            "Lady Hawke is alright, though." She whispered. "She is alive…so is her son."

            He nodded, smiling softly from that little reassurance. "But so many are not…"

            "But they have died honest." Ari continued, assuming the role of comforter. She pushed her own despair aside because that's not what her charge needed. He needed his Kaga Companion, someone who would remain steadfast despite the heavens falling around her. He needed his guardian and so, she was that to him. "And they would not have died in vain."

            "No," He said, agreeing with resolve and straightening himself. "I will do everything I can to make sure they haven't. With everything that is in me, I'll do what I can against Lord Voldemort and his newest weapon."

            Ari was looking at the remains of the gardens. The willow trees were still swaying to an invisible breeze. "They call him the Dark Prince."

            "See, I have now become Death, the destroyer of worlds…" Silas Malfoy mused to himself, staring at his maimed hand. The bitch had taken his fingers with her to hell but that was a small price to pay. Now he was Voldemort's heir apparent and it was all worth it.

            He realized Melanie was watching him from her place by Voldemort's feet. There was a quiet look of triumph on her face and Silas felt his confidence shift ever so slightly. She smiled at him, raising a brow and turning back to whispering whatever poison she was spouting into Voldemort's ear.

            In the far corner, on each side of the door, stood Eoin and Imre respectively. Imre kept casting glances at a tall, blond man who was standing in the shadows, arms crossed over his massive chest. A fallen Auror, Silas thought as he took in the mute figure, and no doubt Imre's newest pupil. He smiled at the Necromancer who bowed cordially. 

            "You bastard!"  A shrill, tortured voice broke through the air as Severus Snape appeared in Voldemort's throne room. He pushed past the doors, towards the throne. Eoin and another Death Eater took a step towards him but Voldemort shook his head.

             "You tricked me!" Snape shouted as approached. The young man was breathing hard, and deathly pale, still stiff from his recovery. As he was leaving, two Auror women had attacked him and only now did he have the strength to confront his new master. "You tricked me!"

            "How have I tricked you, Morning Star?" Voldemort demanded, his voice low but thick with menace.

            "You told me this was only about Jude!" Snape shouted. "You told me no one else would get hurt!"

            "I never said anything of the sort but I kept my word, Severus. This was about Jude, while he was an able spy, his conscience was getting the best of him and I couldn't allow that."

            Terror and fear flooded Snape's face. "You mean…"

            "Yes, in time, Jude would have returned to the fold so to speak. Although, I doubt he would have survived his new conscience, I couldn't allow him leading the Aurors back to me, not until I had my new heir in power. Thank you, Severus, your blind hatred proved most useful on that account."

            Snape was shaking his head. "No, you're lying!"

            "Don't lie to yourself, Severus, it's unbecoming." Voldemort chided. "And don't act so surprised, after all, you knew this would happen ."

            "I didn't…I didn't know."

            "Auror lies," Imre whispered as he walked forward. "You knew and wanted it." 

            "You've done this to me!" Snape turned to Imre. "You've done this! You've damned me to this!"

            "I did nothing of the sort!" Imre countered the fierceness of Snape's voice with his own. "Everything you did, every step you took was your own! Nobody forced your hand! You made the choice to follow Jacqueline to the Death Eaters, to follow me and to go into this battle! You knew who and what you were dealing with and still you went along. Somewhere deep down in your heart, you wanted it!"

            "I didn't want this life!" Snape defended, more frantic then assured. He looked around him, into the cold eyes that surrounded him. Melanie looked away, Silas only smiled, while Jackie stepped forward, touching Imre's hand and pushing him back. 

            "This life is who you are." Jacqueline whispered. "Your soul craves this darkness…how much longer will you live a lie? People like us don't belong out there!" She was saying, pointing to the world beyond Voldemort's haven. 

            "I'm not like this…" He countered, but it sounded feeble even to his own ears. Part of him agreed with her but couldn't understand why. "I'm an Auror, Jackie!" It sounded like a stupid excuse and one made by a man who already lost the battle he was waging against himself. 

"You are a Prince." She said, indicating Voldemort. "His Prince, and you belong by his side."

Silas couldn't believe his ears, angrily he looked to Voldemort for explanation but found none. Instead, all he saw was Melanie's smug grin and he understood.

Melanie, and Jacqueline had betrayed him. They placed Severus on Silas' rightful throne. Such treachery would not be allowed, he swore that. Standing, he slipped out the room, ignoring the rest of the scene.

"I can go back…I can go back…they don't need to know…"

"Be reasonable, Severus." Voldemort laughed. "You can't go back, and there's no where you could hide on your own without them finding you. You sealed your fate when you killed Jude, you became the traitor you hated. Tell me, who would believe you if you returned? Your squad is dead."

"My Angel would." 

It was Eoin's turn to speak. "She's dead."

Snape swung about, staring into his face too stun to speak. Long seconds passed into eternity before he could find the strength to speak again. "You're lying." 

"Why would I?" Malone said, his voice becoming colder as he spoke, hand slipping behind his back. "What would I gain?"

"You're Voldemort's servant."

"I was Erised's brother, her twin." Snape took a step back and Eoin laughed, hoarsely. "Oh? You don't believe it? Ask anyone here…I gave up my sister for the kingdom you see before you…looks like you've done the same."

Snape turned back towards Voldemort, and when he spoke, the voice was low and defeated. "Tell me he's lying…please, my lord…"

"Imre, Jackie, come with me." Voldemort said, standing. "I have no desire to see my new Prince mourn for his past."

He watched in disbelief as they left, leaving him to Eoin. He turned to the Kaga and spoke barely above a whisper. "I never meant to do this…I never meant for this to happen."

"No," Eoin agreed. "But still my sister is dead."

"I'll kill him…" Snape said, speaking of Voldemort. "I'll make him pay for what's he's done!" He darted towards the door. "I'll kill him!"

"Have you no honor?" Eoin shouted, pushing Snape back. The Auror tried to move past him, but the Kaga was quicker and driven by his own private rage, and regrets. "Do you still hold fast to your dreams? It's over, Snape! Hecate is dead to you! You aren't Auror anymore!"

"NO!" Snape cried, bringing Eoin to his knees with him. "This can't be it!"

Eoin shrugged him off, stepping back in disgust. "Where is your integrity, Son of the Morning? You are a Prince now, act as one!"

"Erised," Severus was moaning. "Forgive me…"

"DON'T EVEN SPEAK HER NAME!" Eoin threw Snape back again, pulling the knife he had behind his back. "Do you see this, my Prince? This is the dagger that rent my sister, and your squad's commander's necks in half! This is the knife Jack the Ripper used to destroy your life! You wore a mark on your mask during Day of the Dead, because you were proud and assured…now wear that mark always as a symbol of your shame!"

Snape screamed as Eoin cut into his left eye, craving three marks and blinding him with pain and blood. He tried to claw away but it was no use, Eoin was driven by hatred and righteous anger and nothing would have stopped from his task. When he was done, Eoin rose, breathing heavily and threw the knife to Snape. 

It clattered loudly in the empty room and Snape rolled over to one side, cradling his eyes and crying softly. Eoin watched him, and shook his head.

"Long live the Prince." He sneered, before leaving.

Snape ignored him, and tried to focus on anything but the pain. He looked at the dagger Eoin had left and half-wondered if he the strength to end this. He reached over gingerly, but couldn't even pick it up. He was too afraid of what waited beyond that dagger's blade.

"Alexander…"

He flinched, slightly. "Don't call me that." He whispered. "Don't ever call me that again."

"Severus, then." Melanie cooed, walking towards him and kneeling down beside him. "Severus, look at me."

Gingerly, he rose to his knees and as he did so, he caught full sight of her. In the fading light, she looked even more beautiful then he remembered. Her wild brown eyes still darted nervously around his, searching for what connected them. She offered her hands to him, which he placed to his cheeks, savoring their icy touch. 

"Severus," She whispered. "Everyone is looking."

He looked around the empty room, confused at first but when he brought back his gaze to her, he found she was holding a Death Eater's mask.

Then, he understood.

Taking the mask into his hands, he felt his spirit quiet and still. There was a peace that came with the promise of disguise the mask offered. Behind it, no one knew he was a fallen Auror, or a Judas, or anything else except the man who had earned fear and respect in a few short hours. Inside his mask, he was the perfect Death Eater. A Prince without equal.

And he had Melanie.

He smiled at her gratefully, and slid the mask over his features, feeling the delicate material curve to him and welcome him. He stood slowly, with Melanie's help and she kissed him. Then, for the first time in a long time it seemed, felt the mind clearing devotion of his love for her. Melanie was his again, even as the world was in shambles, it didn't seem to matter. Melanie was back in his arms. And at that moment it seemed more important to him then life, legacy or even honor.  

He had Melanie…


	26. The Gypsies Curse

Author's Note: Again, slightly edited chapter for your amusement and enjoyment. The title comes from the old gypsy curse: "May you get everything you want." Now, when you get to the end of this chapter, you're going to notice a review button- want to hit it and tell me what you think of it?

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Gypsies Curse

            The club was located in the center of a posh, urbane neighborhood. Dia de los Meutros, Day of the Dead, was inscribed in gaudy gold script over the door with a skeleton embracing the name, and inside the bar large, colorful portraits and memorabilia of death littered the walls. The walls were painted in bright reds and blues; true to the Mexican holiday but that's where the homage to religious aspect ended. Pictures of public hangings, prints of medieval torture devices, and eyewitness testimonies from famous deaths littered the walls. There were real artifacts from famous serial killers, personal items worn by famous assassinated politicians, bloodied and bullet riddled shirts from gangsters and Mafioso on display behind glass classes for the patrons to gawk at. The bar itself was imported, supposedly from an old western saloon, and still had the nicks from flying knifes or bullets. The glass behind the bar was inscribed with words that no Muggle would recognize but anyone magical would understand; over and over were three phrase: Crucio, Imperio, Avada Kedrava.

            The main rooms were open to the general public, the bar fed out into the dance floor and there was a small, quieter lounge behind it (made to look like a prison cell) but the upstairs was reserved for the owner's private uses. The balcony was decorated with only what the magical could fully appreciate. An Auror's uniform, stained with blood and sporting a gapping hole over the chest was the first thing that greeted guests when they came from the spiral stairs. Wands from fallen Aurors and Dark Lords were displayed in charmed glass, much as their non-magical counterparts were downstairs. 

            And finally, over the rows of plush couches that were pushed against three fourths of the wall were the 'death masks' of famous Aurors, replicas of their faces displayed like deer heads in a hunter's den. 

            This was Silas Malfoy's crown jewel.

            "Mr. Malfoy, what do you say to people who claim your newest club is nothing more then the epitome of bad taste and blatant disregard for the general public?" The Daily Prophet reporter, Marissa DeWitt asked, making every attempt not to be instantly wooed by Silas' bright, penetrating eyes. "They say the fact you've named this bar after the most bloody and horrific attack on Aurors and governments in recent history, an attack that I might want to remind you is only three years old. Hecate Compound itself has come out and called this place a mockery to those who died on that day. What do you say to these charges?" 

            Silas merely smiled one of his classic smiles and leaned forward, placing his hand on her thigh. "Miss DeWitt, do you like ghost stories?"

            The Reporter blinked, nervously. "I…I…I'm sorry?"

            "When you were young, I mean. Did you ever stay up late listening to them and probably scaring yourself silly in the process? It was fun, wasn't it? Everyday your newspaper is filled with stories of the Dark Lord, his demonic Prince and the daring attacks of their Death Eaters and do you know why? But everyone is attracted to the evilness that each of those figures represent. Think about it, the very name Dark Prince conjures of an image of some dark, deeply handsome figure ready and willing to steal away young virgins from their beds. It's one hell of an image to sell newspapers with, I'll tell you." Silas leaned back, motioning for one of the waiters to refill his drink. "This place is macabre and dark because that is what would sell it. Look around you, you can't tell me you don't look on my trophies without the tiniest bit of fascination and awe.  It's something brute and basic within all of us that attracts us to this." He smiled again. "Maybe that's why it's so unpopular with the old farts but, I didn't build it for them. I built it for the young…those who are willing to see the darkness within each of us."

            DeWitt had stopped transcribing Silas' speech to stare pointedly into his arresting blue eyes. His voice lowered as he spoke, watching her lean forward to absorb every word he uttered like if it was the most vital thing in the world to her. He leaned to her to compensate her, smiling, as her lips got closer to his.

            "Be careful, Miss DeWitt." Severus Snape whispered as he entered the room, removing his outer robe and smiling at her. "Those who gaze into the abyss too long will find the abyss gazing into them." 

            DeWitt nearly jumped out of her chair, toppling over the drink she had on the table. Silas laughed, and glanced at Severus. "Severus, you're late. I'm disappointed. It's opening day and you weren't here for the ribbon cutting."

            "I apologize Silas, I got caught up at work. Vargas is set on finding an antidote for Ptolemy's Curse and I was stuck helping her third years purify hemlock." Snape said, his eyes taking in the private room. Lucius was sitting in the far end with Narcissa near him, both engaged in some in dept conversation and didn't so much as acknowledge his arrival. He shook his head at their impropriety and turned his full attention to the faces of sleeping heroes around him.

            His eyes found and settled on the head of Kaiser Snape, his father, complete with Vampire bite wounds on his neck. He swallowed slightly, hand going to his own neck and rubbing it gingerly. 

            Silas' eyes followed his. "Oh! Sorry, Severus…" The Malfoy stood, taking off his coat and throwing it over the face like a coat rack. "I'll have it removed when you're coming around."

            "How thoughtful of you."

            "You know me, anything for you."

            "Professor Snape!" DeWitt started, picking up her quill again. "As the son of Aurors…"

            "Dead Aurors."

            "…And a former Auror yourself, what do you say to this disrespect to fallen heroes?"

            Snape looked up at the faces again. "I can't say I really hear them complaining."

            DeWitt lowered her quill, and tilted her head. "So you don't agree with Master Hawke when she says the Dark Lord is going to look on this place as a shrine to his victory?"

            "I can't say I've asked him what he's thought of this club. If I ever met him, I'll do that for you though." Snape smiled. "If you like."

            "You are all monsters." DeWitt seethed, quietly.

            "Well, that's it then." Silas drawled, smiling alluringly at the waitress that had come to clean up DeWitt's spilled drink and refill his. "It's time we admitted it. She's found us out."

            "Admit what, Silas?" Snape asked, looking at DeWitt. A look of polite confusion ran over his features before he finally nodded. "Oh I know…" He stood up straight and bowed his head. "I admit it, milady. I am the Lindbergh baby."

            "No, Sev." Silas chided. "Not that one! The other one." He glanced at DeWitt. "He's the Dark Prince, and I am a Death Eater. This whole place, it really _is_ a shrine to the Dark Lord's victory over the Aurors three years ago. I am just too bold and arrogant to really care about what Hecate may say about it."

            DeWitt was speechless. She glanced at Severus who nodded in agreement with Silas.  He smiled at her timidly, "It's true, but I forgot my mask at home though. Sorry."

            She grabbed her quill, and moved to stuff her notes and papers into her purse. "I don't believe you! After all those men and women have done for you, you just joke about something like that! Some of them died for you and you treat their lost as some fucked up tourist attraction for people who are just as sick inside as you!" She seethed before storming out of the lounge.

            Snape watched her go, shaking his head. "It's a shame but she's right you know."

            "About what?"

            "We're all mad here."

            "That's what the Cheshire cat said." Silas said, finishing off his drink and reaching into his coat for a snuffbox. His eyes were already glassed over from too much booze and drugs and probably had been like that for the majority of the day.

Snape, knowing how protective Silas was of his cocaine, decided to move towards Narcissa and Lucius. He kneeled beside Narcissa, whispering into her ear, "How long was DeWitt here?"

"I don't know." She said, waving her hand dismissively at him. "A couple of hours, I guess- long enough for Silas to try and get into her pants. They had dinner before coming up here." She attempted to turn back to Lucius but Snape grabbed her wrist, and squeezed. 

"Were you with him?"

"No, I have no intention of being publicly embarrassed. Would you?" 

"I don't care if you're embarrassed or not." He put his other hand dangerously close to her neck. "If I ever see you and Lucius molesting each other in a corner while Silas is in the spotlight again I promise you'll regret it, Narcissa. I will not have one of my lieutenants made a fool of by his wife and brother."

"He doesn't need our help." 

"Exactly!" Snape tightened his grip on her wrist. "It's bad enough Silas has shamed himself like he has but I won't have him slipping any of my Lord's secrets so next time he's the center of attention, you'll be right by his side as Ms. Martha Homemaker, understand?"

She was whimpering now from the pain. "Yeah…"

"What?" 

"Yes!" She cried as he released her. "My Prince."

"Now, take your husband home and help him sleep it off." Snape glanced at Lucius. "I have business with your boyfriend." 

Narcissa glared at him but did as she was told. Severus watched her go before sitting down and looking at Lucius. The Malfoy was staring at him, trying to find words through his anger to speak in protest. It was no secret that Lucius cared the world for Narcissa and always had, from the moment he had laid eyes on her, but his brother, ever the playboy, had gotten to her first. Secretly, Snape admired Lucius' devotion to Narcissa, despite the fact everyone knew Narcissa was utterly committed to Silas, regardless of his continued infidelity. Quite simply put, it was impossible to deny Silas anything. He was so charming and attractive that you wanted to please him. Lucius knew this too and it broke his heart every time he saw them together. 

"I know." Snape said before Lucius could speak. "But a little discretion is in order."

"How can I be discreet for something that doesn't exist?" 

"By not staring at her longingly could help." Snape raised a hand before Lucius spoke. "But curse me for her sake some other time. I have a job for you."

Lucius took a long time to wipe the glare off his face. "I am at your service, my Prince."

"Do you know who Janis Sorelle is?"

"She's Chancellor of the International Wizarding Confederation, I hear Victoria Hawke and Albus Dumbledore are among her closest advisors." 

"Right, and as one of the leading voices for the Magical Community, everyone trusts her judgment and respects her leadership." Snape drawled, pulling out an envelope from his cloak. "I want you to kill her."

"Not that I'm complaining or scared but…" Lucius torn open the envelope and read over its contents. It was the Chancellor's itinerary for the night and the words to circumvent the charms around her office. "…This is going to throw the IWC into action. They're going to make the Aurors and Hit Wizards begin sweeps and raids." He tucked the papers into his coat and rose. "They are going to come after us with a vengeance."

"Let them come," Severus said, looking over Lucius to smile at some new visitor. "I could use a good fight." 

  Lucius turned back and saw who had captured Snape's attention. "You know, you're a fine one to speak to me of discretion."

"Shut up and get out."

"Yes sir." The youngest Malfoy retreated towards the spiral stairs. He bowed to Melanie as she passed him but the woman had her gaze set on Severus alone.  

Melanie crossed straight into Severus' arms and buried her face into his chest. She closed her eyes and smiled, "Who is Lucius going to visit?"

"It doesn't matter." He buried his nose into her hair and inhaled, smiling blissfully. "I only came her to see you anyways, come home with me."

"I can't…and you know it." She said, pulling away. "Lord Vold-"

"I don't care about what Voldemort wants," He cut her off. "I miss having you beside me at night. Come with me."

"We can't keep doing this." She whispered, stealing glances to the waitresses that were cleaning up the room. "Tom would kill us both if he knew."

            "I don't fear him, not with you with me." He smiled at her and stepped away. "Look around you, Melanie…the world is mine. I am the Dark Prince. No one can touch or hurt me. Do you really think Voldemort can afford to kill me? I've created his kingdom…" He pulled her to him again. "I am the Dark Lord, Voldemort has become just a figurehead!" His voice took on a gentle, almost fatherly tone as if he was talking to a child that had to be instructed in everything. "Now, you're going to come with me tonight, and Babbitt will cook us some dinner and tonight we'll sleep together. And we'll be happy and everything will be right in the world."   
            Melanie let him hug her tight once more before he released her and went to bottom floor, probably to leave more last minute instructions with various Death Eaters before retiring for the night. She smiled softly; the past three years had been kind to Snape. Since Day of the Dead, Snape had fought and bleed to earn what he had received in shame: the title of the Dark Prince. He had risen from the ashes of his former self and had become something worthy of that title. As the Prince, he was a warrior who was as cultured as he was cruel, as dangerous as he was debonair. He was Voldemort's second in command, his heir apparent and the general of his armies, someone without equal and respected by both friend and foe. His name was uttered with the same fear that Voldemort himself possessed. 

But she knew the accomplishment that was most important in Snape's eyes was the fact that he had her again. They were seeing each other in secret Snape was quite certain he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. But with everything that he had wanted came a pride and brashness that paralleled Silas' own. He believed he was without equal and undefeatable. 

And while part of Melanie was enjoyed that brashness; she viewed it as a direct result of her grooming, she was also concerned about him. She could see his enemies, even if he couldn't and she worried just how those enemies would chose a path of attack. 

She had gone through great pains to make Severus into the creature he was now and she would be damned if anyone tried to take him from her.


	27. Saint Michael

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Saint Michael 

The Dark Prince had been summoned to Voldemort's main palace.

It had never been done before.

This meant something serious had happened, something that had never happened before.

It meant the Prince had failed. 

Castle Ardennes was standing as proud as it had always been, oblivious to time, weather, or the affairs of men. Dreamlike, but corporeal gargoyles guarded the entrance to the main citadel and beckoned the visitors to beware of what laid behind its gates. Snape studied the looming halls as he entered, searching for any sign of life that would help him discover the purpose behind this midnight summon. 

In the darkness, he heard the shadows move. He saw Imre pass in one of the far halls, leaning on his ever-present cane. Behind Imre was the tall, hooded sentinel that had been near the Necromancer since Day of the Dead. Rumors had it that this man was a dead Auror that Imre had imprisoned and enslaved with dark magic but Snape had never given much thought to that. Snape himself had never been near enough to the man to even see his face, yet alone see if it was one of his old sparring buddies. 

But the boy in the sentinel's arms, Snape did know. That was the son of Jacqueline Eames, the bastard prince of the underworld he was called. Jackie never brought the boy near Snape, and the boy avoided him on his own; as if both feared what would happen if they came into contact. Snape never really questioned that either because after all, the boy was just another secret that Ardennes held. 

The man carrying the boy paused for a moment, and turned slightly. With the hood still drawn, Snape couldn't make out the face but knew the man could see him. They stared at each other for a moment, and Snape broke the gaze first. 

Some secrets in Ardennes were better left untold, Snape thought to himself as he entered the main Throne room.  
The Dark Lord was standing, his ebony robes rippling around him like a dark storm. The years had not been kind to the man Snape has once thought handsome. Three years, and types dark magic even Snape feared had thinned Riddle's hair, turning it gray and brittle, it had redden his once simple, but noble eyes and seemed to make his skin gaunt, pulled over his skeleton like too taunt artist canvas. 

He looked more snake then man, now, as if the magic he used to prolong his life and add to his power was eating away at his very frame. He nodded to the door, motioning for another shadow to move. Behind Snape, Eoin Malone stepped into the light, bowed to both and left. Snape watched him go with disdain. "You called milord?" 

"Lucius Malfoy lies near death tonight my Prince." Voldemort said, walking forward and waving his hand over Snape's face. 

Instantly, the familiar white pain of punishment began to overtake Severus' senses. Snape was forced to his knees, but made no sound- either to beg for mercy or to ask what had happened. Seconds drew unto hours as Voldemort watched Severus squirm from the pain, half-wondering if his Prince would concede. When he saw Snape was not going to surrender tonight, Voldemort yet up and turned to walk to his throne. 

Snape took a few ragged breaths before finding the words to speak. He wanted to tear off his mask but knew better. "What of Chancellor Sorelle?" 

"She is enjoying a grand tour of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry from what I hear." 

"Then this is the Order of the Phoenix's doing?" Snape asked, already formatting in his mind how he would counterattack. He took no pleasure from the idea a school full of teachers and layman could be any match for him or the Death Eaters. 

In truth, Dumbledore's Order was nothing more then a nuisance, succeeding in only edifying people like Sorelle who would actively work to make a difference. Politicians who were backed by the Order could expect the added support of top names within the Wizarding community and therefore be empowered to make wise, if somewhat radical steps to fight the Death Eaters and while so far the Order had done little damage, Snape was wise to fear them. 

He knew what a few dedicated fools could do. He was about to say this when he noticed Voldemort staring at him with a cold, calculating stare that made something in him stir. The Prince rose, watching the Dark Lord as he was being watched; getting the nagging suspicion that something more was involved. "…This isn't the Order's doing though, is it?" 

"The Order has nothing to do with this." Voldemort confirmed. "I have a source near the heart of the Order, and am keeping it at bay. Dumbledore's Order will never amount to anything more then what they are now." 

"My Lord is wise." Snape said, "But if it is not Dumbledore…who else would dare challenge you?" 

"He calls himself Saint Michael." Announced Eoin Malone as he reentered. Glancing at Voldemort for permission, Eoin walked to Snape and reached into his coat to pull out a necklace, handing it to Snape. 

Snape took it into his hands and twirled it in his palm. A simple silver chain held an oval pendant that was emblazoned with the figure of an angelic warrior who had a spear poised to destroy a snake that was pinned under his feet. Snape narrowed his eyes and forming a tight fist around the necklace. 

"He left this for you." Voldemort said. "It was left around the neck of one of my Death Eaters, after he had been killed by Aurors." 

"He's an angel, is that it?" 

"Poetic isn't it?" Eoin asked. 

"How so?" 

"He named himself, and it is a direct attack on you. Saint Michael, the angel who threw Satan out heaven." Eoin smiled, smugly. "And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out…" 

"Muggle bedtime stories," Snape dismissed, although he had the nagging thought that somehow Eoin knew more about this then the Kaga would ever say. "I was called Satan so the people could have a name for the demon that haunted their nightmares. This…Michael is trying to capitalize on that." He attempted a smile. "Maybe I should have copyrighted it." 

"Whatever the case, Michael is responsible for every major information leak within the past two years. He's recruited spies within my Death Eaters!" Voldemort said, his precious control slipping in anger. "This man who dares finds traitors among my ranks." 

Snape was playing with the necklace. "He puts the Jack the Ripper to shame, doesn't he?" 

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were enjoying the fact I am made a fool of by this…" 

I admire this man's gall." 

"Let me make this painfully clear, my Prince, find this man and all his contacts inside the Death Eaters. Bring me his head or I will have yours." 

"As you command, it will be done." Snape bowed. 

"Be careful you do not make false promises." Eoin warned, "Michael has been able to thwart every attempt I've made to discover his identity or that of the Death Eaters that are working for him." 

"Maybe you haven't looked in the right place." Snape said, lightly although he felt none of the assurance that was in his voice. Malone was a powerful Death Eater, probably second to only himself and Voldemort and his lack of success on this mission could only mean that Michael covered his tracks well. It also made him wonder why he hadn't been asked to step in before, usually a mission of this importance would be reserved for the Prince alone. "Do you know how he gets in the information in and out?" 

"He uses letters, although we can never catch them being sent to him directly. Every time I've found a letter it was already en route to Hogwarts or Hecate Compound, sent sometime by Owl, sometimes by personal courier. Letters are written in different color ink, probably one color is assigned to each different writer." 

"How do you know this?" 

"Because some are signed the colors they use. Blanc, Noir, Gris…" Eoin lifted his head, pausing briefly. "Rouge." 

And now, Snape knew why he hadn't been assigned to this before. 

"I marvel at the fact your former Auror alias has made it to the list of traitors." 

Snape narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards him. "Are you implying something, Malone?" 

"I am merely stating the facts as they are, sire. A power surfaces in the underground, which bears the name of the Dark Prince's nemesis. He's able to find spies for himself inside our ranks and he uses your old names for one of his contacts." The man smiled, tilting his head. The softest whisper of contempt blew over the man's gray eyes. "It's…unusual." 

Snape sneered at him but said nothing. "I will find your Angel," He whispered sinisterly. "And he'll burn." 

"What you do, do quickly." Eoin countered, his voice equally low as he pushed open the doors for Snape to leave. Voldemort was resting in his throne; content to watch the two Hecate prodigals bicker. 

Snape forced himself to remind silent, turning to retreat back into the Ardennes forest, but not before hearing Eoin's aside. 

"And after all, my Prince, you know something of betrayal." 

Melanie was waiting for Severus when he returned to Akel Dama. He had stopped by the Looking Glass before coming home and the brandy he drank was thick on his robes and in his gait. Snape crossed to her, legs weighed down by guilt and liquor. He called to her in a breaking voice, ripping on his mask and falling to his knees in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his swollen, burned eye into her stomach, desperate to feel her against him again. 

He didn't know why the name Rouge had sent him into such a state but it did. Once Eoin had uttered that damnable name, three years suddenly meant nothing. He was no longer the Dark Prince, a man who made the nations tremble. He was now a Judas and nothing more. Hecate and the dark dreams that accompanied that place were no longer the nightmares he could dismiss, they were now real memories, and real scars that Snape could trace over and recognize. 

St. Michael had brought them back. He had dared dreg up the Prince's darkest secrets and put them on display, to mock Snape and ridicule him. 

And to tell him, he couldn't hide from them much longer. For three years, Snape had ignored Hecate, Day of the Dead, and all the other sins he had committed. Now, Michael dared bring back memories. 

"Severus?" Melanie called, her voice concerned. "What's wrong, my love?" 

"He'll try to kill me." Snape muttered as Melanie wrapped her arms around him. "He'll kill me and it won't be in battle. He'll drive me mad…" 

"Who?" 

"St. Michael…this bastard who dares wears a Angel's name. He's declaring war on me." 

"Severus, that's impossible." 

"Why?" Snape asked, pulling away far enough to look up into her eyes. "Why don't you believe me?" 

"St. Michael isn't a fighter, Severus. He traffics information, he works for Voldemort." 

Some of the booze that had held Snape captive escaped but left a numbing, twisting pain in his stomach. "What do you mean he works for Voldemort?" 

"He's a sells top secret information to the highest bidder. He approached Voldemort about two years ago, right before Day of the Dead and offered the names of undercover Aurors within England. He offered that list to Hecate too…only Hecate didn't think Michael was for real. Voldemort bought the list and had Jacqueline and Valkyries hunt down the spies and kill them. That's how come Hecate had no idea we were coming…" 

Snape was beginning to regret all that Brandy as he listened to Melanie. Michael was a trafficker, not a warrior, not an avenging angel. He was a scavenger, a creature that held no loyalties and no qualms about betraying people who were willing to fight- and die- for a cause. A sort of deep, seething hate began to fill Snape's senses, overpowering the drunken haze and replace with it a sort of righteous anger. 

After all, for all his sins and regrets, he had chosen a side. He had chose to abandon his Auror past to forge a new future with the Death Eaters and had devoted the same zeal and loyalty to them as he had once with his squad. He had fought by the rules of war and knew that, win or lose; he had fought with honor. 

Michael knew nothing of that. This 'angel' had no sides, no loyalties and he didn't care for the loyalties of others. He would betray you without a second thought if the price was right and that enraged some part of Severus, the part of him that was still Auror, still good. 

The part of him that wanted to desperately believe that when he died, he would die an honest man. 

"Tell me everything you know about him, Melanie." He whispered, feeling in his soul the fire of someone with a cause once again in his heart. 

For a number of reasons he couldn't explain even if he wanted too, he made the war against St. Michael personal. He had something to fight for again, another Judas to hunt down and destroy… 

Another way to make amends… 

And he was willing to make war on Heaven to see this completion. 


	28. The Angels Made War

Chapter Twenty- Eight: The Angels made War

            "Your Prince has gone mad." 

            Melanie Reyes narrowed her eyes and turned back, glaring at the pale demon that followed her who was trailing behind in disgust of the withering building. "You would know something of madness, wouldn't you, Silas?"

            "Of course I do." Silas returned, pulling cobwebs off his coat.  "I am Mad Malfoy, aren't I? That's what you and your vipers at court are whispering into the ears of my Lord and your Prince. I've lost my bite, and my mind; I no longer have the power or wits to strike fear into those witless fools. You say I've become fat on my greed, but I warn you, Melanie…there's still fight in me yet."

            "No one believes that anymore, Silas."

            "Silence, both of you…" Whispered Lucius from ahead of Melanie, casting his eyes fearfully to the person in front of him; the Dark Prince was crouched against the doorframe, staring into a darkened room where Saint Michael and his informants plotted and planned in this abandoned, derelict cathedral. 

            "Let him hear us." Silas said, angrily. 

            Lucius lowered his voice. "The Prince trusts you, more so then he does this woman. Do not lose that."

            Melanie bit down a comment, staring between the men, then to her lover. Lucius was right, Severus' devotion to Silas was blind and unchanging. Nothing short of a blatant betrayal would ever shake Severus trust in his friend, his brother and confidant. 

            No matter, knowing Silas, that betrayal would soon come. 

            A low, methodical laugh came from the Prince and the other Death Eaters turned their heads in rapt attention to the scene. Inside the room, there was a flurry of motion as the occupants scrambled for escape. Melanie stepped ahead of the brothers and threw herself into the room, following Severus.

            She felt the old, rotting wood creak and moan under her weight and whispered for them to keep. Surrounded on all sides by old shaded glass, what little light that could be seen through the panes was subdued and seemed only to heighten the feeling of confusion that covered the place.

            To her surprise, three men in Death Eater masks were surrounding one small figure in the center, calling one to another in panicked voices, "We have to get her out!"

            "No," Shouted the man in the center. A charm had been used to warp the voice and a hood hid the wearer's features. "No, this isn't time, every man for himself."

            "Ah, come on! Where are you going?" The Prince shouted in return, "All this trouble to find you…enlisting the help of Seers, Necromancers and even the Yellow Pages; stay and have a drink with me!"

            "Get out of here," The figure ordered, pulling two wands and throwing hexes after Melanie, seeming to know on instinct that the Prince would dive to protect her. He took that chance to push two men out behind him. "Blanc, Noir, get out!"

            "Follow them," Severus shouted to Lucius and Silas.

            The brothers took off after the shadows, leaving Melanie and him to the others. Michael was still focusing all of his wandwork on Melanie who was barely keeping up. Severus had to fight against both the masked Death Eater and give Melanie backup.

            "Rouge," Michael hissed. "Get out. Now."

            "I won't leave you!" He shouted in return.

            "It's not your choice!"

            "Yes, it is."

            Severus noticed Rouge's breaking voice and felt his heart twist momentarily. The man had the same build and passions he had once possessed, making this a fight something out of a memory. Each move, each action he preformed, and reacted to was seamless as if they both had practiced together to achieve this melodious dance. The strength behind Rouge's actions was young, and complete in its devotion to his holy cause. 

            If Rouge had taken his name from a younger version of Severus, he was doing a damn good job of mimicking him. Young and empowered by his cause, this Rouge was pushing against his own fear, fatigue and injuries to fight the undefeatable Dark Prince.

            He was willing to go to his death for this small man who was looking for a quick exit, this St. Michael that was barely worthy of the child's devotion.

            It didn't seem real or even feasible. 

            "What are you fighting for?" Snape asked. 

            The man looked up, in his eyes a look of confusion. "…for a memory."

            "It can't be worth it."

            "You thought it was."

            "And what would you know of my thoughts?"

            "I know your heart. I know you very soul, better then you do…" The man said, pushing forward. "You aren't like this, you know. You aren't a murderer. I don't know how but they've made you believe that, and that you're one of them but your not! You're an Auror…always will be."

            Snape faltered as he fought, transfixed by this man, both scared and in awe of him. How could he have known what Snape had whispered into the darkness, what sins and fears were wrapped up inside of him…and say what Severus desperately wanted to hear?

            That he was still an Auror, that he could still make things right. 

            No, he thought to himself, it was too dangerous to hope. It was too close it seemed. If he believed Rouge, believed him and was betrayed, then what? He couldn't bear the idea of losing Hecate again. He couldn't fathom losing that part of his soul again.

            That would be too cruel, too much; even for him, the mighty Morning Star. 

            "My Prince!"

            Melanie's voice broke through his thoughts, turning his full attention to that object of his love. She crumpled to the floor before his eyes, limp and pale from whatever hex Michael had preformed. Severus' eyes flew to St. Michael who was backing towards a window before darting towards Melanie.

            Snape squatted beside her, checking for signs of life. Her faint pulse gave him waves of relief and joy. 

            He couldn't lose her.  She was the only thing that kept the lost of Hecate at bay. Only she could fight away the demons of his nightmares. 

            "Don't worry, Beauty." He heard St. Michael call. "Your beloved isn't dead. I wouldn't take what you have stolen from me away from you…"

            "Is that was this is about?" He shouted, never looking up. "You're trying to get me back from killing some girlfriend."

            "You did a lot more then kill my lover, you took my life. I won't rest till I have yours."

            "Why not end it now then? Kill me."

            "You can't." Rouge was speaking to Michael. His voice lowered and held the weight of intimate knowledge that he seemed to believe would sway the Angel. "You can't hurt him. He still has a chance…"

            "It's not like he deserves one." Michael countered.

            "That's why he needs it."

            "I could end this war," The Saint countered, mainly speaking in hypothesis. "Right now, with one curse that could kill both the Prince and the Lady."

            Snape turned, looking at Michael. Both wands were posed on him and he knew somewhere in his gut that he wouldn't be able to block the curses if sent at him. He was completely at the mercy of this man. He pulled Melanie closer to him, holding her in such a way that his body would shelter any curse sent towards them. 

            "I love you, Melanie." He whispered. "Beyond hope."

            Michael stopped, tilted his head, and made a sound that Severus couldn't decipher. He lowered his wands, and asked. "Do you mean it?"

            "With every part of my being."

            "So did I. Once." 

            And with that said, Michael threw himself out of the window. The shattering glass glittered in the full moonlight like a heavenly light that surrounded the figure. Something told him, that if he went to the window and looked out all he would see is the broken glass.            Michael was too clever to die.

            "Why did you defend me?" He asked Rouge. 

            "It would have been kind of hard not to."  Rouge said, walking forward, hands going to his mask and removing it. "You see, I was protecting myself."

            Severus looked up and stared at his shadow.

            The soft hazel eyes of Jean Andre Lafayette were looking into his own with a youthful faith that Severus knew must have belonged to him once, another lifetime ago. 

            "You better go." He whispered.

            Andre shook his head. "Not without you."

            "It's too late for me."

            "I refuse to believe that."

            Noises from the far staircase told them both that Silas and Lucius were returning. Alex Rouge turned, narrowing his eyes and whispering. "It's time to go, Severus."

            "I can't leave."

            "Don't you see you don't belong here?" 

            Severus looked down and stroked Melanie's hand. "Don't you see I'm right where I belong?"

            Jean was about to say something else but shrunk back as he heard Silas' laughter. He looked back at Snape once more, his face twisted into pain and disbelief. He rose, replaced his mask and stole away into the darkness.

            In his arms, Melanie moaned and sat up as Silas and Lucius entered. She looked up at Severus, debating on telling him that she had heard every word between them. She had just heard Severus betray Voldemort by letting both Michael and a Hecate Auror escape. He knew the costs, but had taken that gamble.

            Her mind was swimming. She couldn't understand Severus' actions. Didn't he know what he had now? He was Prince of mighty kingdom, how dare he risk that for sentiment's sake. How dare he risk all that she had given him for the memory of Hecate and his time in uniform…what if…

            Silas' small, contained smile told her that her fears were realized. Just as she had seen and heard Severus' betrayal; he had.

            Silas straightened his cloak and crossed to Severus. "My Prince?" His voice was soft and low, and welcoming. "Let me take the lady to Ardennes. You go home and rest…you are tired and need it." He stroked Severus' hair, gently and smiled as the Prince curled into his embrace. 

            "Yes," Snape murmured, "I want to sleep."

            The Prince stood rigidly, almost painfully it seemed. Silas wrapped his arms around Melanie and watched him leave.

            "There," She heard him whisper. "There goes your lover to his death."

            Melanie inhaled, and told Lucius to leave. The younger of the Malfoy brother raised a brow that only arched higher when Silas told him to listen to the lady. Silas could smell a woman plotting was more then a little curious about what Melanie would do now. As Lucius left, Melanie dropped her hand down and traced the inside of Silas' thigh. 

            "Come to my bedroom tonight." She told him. "I'm sure we can arrange something."

            Silas looked at her as she walked away from him, his eyes running hungrily over her body. "I don't think there's anything to discuss, milady. Severus just let two enemies of Voldemort go free. That's a deadly sin."

            "There's always something to discuss, Silas." She whispered, turning back and meeting his eyes. "For instance, the price of your silence…" She began to slid her coat off her shoulders, revealing the scant dress underneath. "I know you've wanted everything the Prince has possessed, because it is and was your rightful bounty." She licked her lips and smiled. "Well? Come take what's yours."

            Silas watched her, smiled one of his smiles that made the world love him and straightened up. "In time," He told her, simply. "I will take everything that was taken from me back…but not a moment before." He brushed passed her with all the prose and poison that had made him a master among Death Eaters and made the Malfoy both revered and hated. All the venom and the styling that his family had been renowned for was evident in his walk. At that moment, he was back to what he always was meant to be: the lord of all creation.

            "Lucius!" He called, as he walked down the stairs, knowing his brother would be waiting for him. "Call Ezra, tell him we have work to do."

            "You mean to make war against the Prince, don't you?" Lucius asked quietly. 

            Silas said, "I made him, I can destroy him, Son of the Morning or not-he still bleeds. We've been the pawns of angels long enough, brother, time to let the dragons have their fun."


	29. Breaking down Heaven

Author's Note: This is one of three chapters that wrap up Son of the Morning, it's somewhat unedited but you've already come to expect that from me right? Enjoy and review, I'm beginning to feel unloved. 

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Breaking down Heaven**

Lord Voldemort leaned forward as the doors to his throne room burst open. Beside him, the Dark Prince's hand fell to his wand as he stepped in front of his master. Four Death Eaters entered, two carrying the others in their arms. Whispers and rumors began to fly among those assembled, concerning the grisly display before them. Lucius slipped into the back ranks, in case Voldemort decided to randomly start torturing people because of his displeasure. He looked at Silas who merely folded his arms and waited for events to unfold. Beside Lucius, Lestrange and Karkaroff began to chatter to whoever would listen about who they thought was behind this. He heard the names of Aurors interchange with Order of the Phoenix members but one name continued to cross their lips.

Saint Michael.

That was, until the Valkyries clustered near Jack the Ripper, pointed to the injured woman the taller of the standing Death Eaters was carrying. The woman was wearing the remains of a burned silk veil that at one time covered her face.

It was Madame de Noche, Voldemort's ward, Melanie Reyes.

This caused the Dark Prince to react, stepping down from Voldemort's throne and pulling off his mask to reveal his identity for the first time to the Death Eaters. Severus' face was a mixture of fear and shock. He dropped his mask haphazardly on the floor as if it meant nothing and hurried to Melanie, taking her into his arms. "What happened?"

Galen McKenna, one of those standing, lowered the prone body of Evan Rosier down to the floor. Gasps, and shutters ran through the crowd as they began to realize the extent of this attack. Rosier looked like he had been burned to death. "We were ambushed at Rosier's home. Aurors came from everywhere…"

"How did they know where to find you?" Snape hissed.

"Dumbledore's werewolf was with them sir. He must have told the Aurors were to look." Galen defended. "They came out of no where! We barely escaped!"

"Yet you are unscathed while my cousin lies dead!" Snape demanded, still holding on to Melanie. "While Melanie…"

"My lords, the fault is mine." Melanie suddenly spoke. Her voice was ragged and hoarse and barely coherent. Half of her face had been burned from whatever hex was used, her right eye was burned shut and most of her hair was gone; she looked near death and liable to slip into it at any moment. "Once I saw the Aurors, I ordered the attack. I disobeyed the Prince's orders and that is why Evan is dead."

"Shhh, don't speak Melanie." Severus whispered, brushing her cheek, gingerly. "It's alright. I'll take care of it."

"Yes, you will, my Prince." Voldemort said, cruelly as he stood. "You will punish Melanie for her disobedience."

"No," Snape frowned, "My lord, she did nothing wrong!"

"She has disobeyed you and me. What greater crime is that?"

"She fought the Aurors, that is her duty. If anyone is held responsible, let it be Dumbledore and Lupin, and if they are not enough…hold me responsible."

There was an eerie silence that began to seep into the room. None present had ever heard the Dark Prince disobey or defend someone. Voldemort seemed stunned by his Prince's gall. Eoin Malone tilted his head curiously, eyes darting back and forth between his Lord and Prince. Then, he stepped forward, and put his hand on Voldemort's shoulder.

"So is our lord's will." Eoin said in a loud voice, eyes roaming the room, knowing that his voice was considered Voldemort's. "He who is responsible for this debacle shall be punished, and the Aurors killed. Erskine, take Evan to whatever family he has left. Then take some men and follow Galen to the Aurors. Jackie will go with Galen now, and tend to his injuries. I will handle Dumbledore's lackeys."

Snape suppressed a shiver of fear, concerning Voldemort's edict. He looked up, and spoke. "What of Melanie?"

Eoin glanced at Voldemort who stood and walked towards her. Voldemort leaned down and stared painfully at his niece's distorted face. "Such beauty…destroyed."

"Tom?" Melanie whispered, lifting up her hand towards Voldemort. In her voice was the panic and anguish of knowing Voldemort's true feelings concerning women of lacking beauty. Riddle loved perfection in all sorts and forms, and anything less then it repulsed him. "Don't send me away…"

"Take her from my sight." He said, ignoring Melanie's pleads. He shut his eyes against her raising pleads. "I don't ever want to see her again."

"No! Tom, don't do this!"

"Eoin, dispose of her."

"No," Snape shouted. "Let me take her. Give her to me." Voldemort turned, watching Severus shrewdly. Snape resisted the urge to beg for her, knowing that would only incest the Dark Lord more. He didn't need Voldemort's wrath. Not now, concerning Melanie. He do anything to keep her safe…

Even if that meant resisting the urge to fight for her.

Somewhere in the room, Silas Malfoy saw this battle being played out in Severus' mind and felt the sheer ecstasy of seeing his plan to fulfillment. It had been easy enough to arrange. Ezra had close ties to Saint Michael, and Remus Lupin was a member of his pack. Ezra had let the identity of Evan Rosier slip, and in turn the information had found it's way to Albus and the Aurors. It was almost too easy but that didn't make the victory any less sweet.

"And this is only the beginning." He whispered.

Lucius turned and stared at him. He had once believed his brother infallible and undefeatable but now he was taking on the Dark Prince. It was like every one of his deepest fears had come true- and Silas had gone mad. He was willing to risk everything in his quest for revenge.

Lucius was not. Gingerly, he reached over and touched his brother's shoulder. "Goodbye, my brother." He whispered, before he turned and left.

"Take her." Lord Voldemort said, finally. His voice was uncharacteristically low, and sensitive as if his treatment of Melanie pained him beyond words. "Take her and go."

"Thank you, Master." Snape turned to the nearest woman, a Valkyrie named Drucilla Dawson. "Take Melanie to Akel Dama, and tell the House Elf that greets you to tend to her. Tell her it's very important."

Drucilla nodded, leaning down and taking Melanie into her arms. "It will be done, my Prince."

"Good." Snape said, standing. He turned to retrieve his mask but didn't replace it. Instead, he looked up, meeting each Death Eater's eyes as he passed; daring them to take what they had seen today and twist into something it was not. Only Silas nodded to Severus, meeting the silent challenge. Snape ignored it, and pushed the doors open to leave.

He couldn't stop his shaking.

"You could have told them about me."

Jean Andre's voice met Severus just as he exited the throne room. Snape stopped and turned to the shadow where Jean was emerging from like a ghost. Snape took a step away from Jean, warily as if he was afraid merely sharing the same air with the man would bring back a past he longed to forget.

Andre had his head down as he studied the floor. "You could have told them my secret. That would have made up for Melanie's mistake."

"Did you have anything to do with this?"

"No."

"Did St. Michael?"

Jean inhaled, and looked at his hands. "It was information he trafficked that led the Aurors to Rosier, but Michael didn't know Melanie would be there…if he had…"

"Don't. Don't try and make Michael into a Saint." Severus laughed a little. "He's just like me, only looking to help himself."

"If that is true, why didn't you tell them of my secret?"

There was a long pause as Snape searched for the right word. "It was not mine to tell."

"You could have told Voldemort I was Rouge. He would have handed me over to Eoin, who in time would have made me confess Saint Michael's identity." Andre hadn't yet lifted his head. "You could have…"

"I couldn't allow them to harm you."

"Why not?"

"Because, you're a part of me." Snape hissed, angrily. He gritted his teeth as he spoke, forcing each word out. "Because, you are what I could have been and it gives me peace watching you, knowing that you are an Auror…that you are with…"

"That I am doing your job?" Andre asked, raising his head. "This is your place, Alexander, not mine. You belong at Hecate."

"I belong here, Jean." Severus tried again, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "You cannot ask a Prince to betray his people."

"They are not your people, we are. You do not love them."

"I love one."

"Yes," Jean agreed after a short pause. "I saw that today, in the way you watched her, touched her. She is the one Erised replaced for a time, isn't she? I can see why you chose Ari. The resemblance is uncanny."

"No, Melanie had none of her will. Ari had strength but no emotion, Melanie has emotion but no will."

"Yet you love Melanie…"

"Do I?" Snape tilted his head, looking confused. His mind was phasing between confusion and clarity, between panic and peace. Things he knew and believed with all his heart now seemed to turn and twist inside of him. He glanced back at Andre. "Yes, I seem to have forgotten that. It seemed so long ago since I have loved someone."

"Didn't you love Ari?"

"We weren't capable of love," Snape said, turning away from Jean and walking towards the balcony. "I loved Ari because she reminded me of Melanie and nothing more."

"And yet, she loved you."

"She respected me. There's a difference."

"Not to her. You owned her loyalty, that's not something she gave easily."

"And then?" Snape turned back towards Jean, staring into the Kaga's eyes. There was the slightest bit of reproach and bitterness in Snape's voice and eyes as he spoke that he made no attempt to hide. "Tell me, Rouge, during her last days who owned my little angel's fidelity? You?"

"My Prince…she lived." There was a long pause, Snape expected to feel a sense of joy or at least comfort and was surprised when neither came. Andre mistook his silence for confusion and disbelief. "She lives, Alex. She's with…"

"I don't care." Snape countered calmly. "What do you want from me, Andre? I'm not the man you knew anymore. I don't know how to be. I am Prince now, and Voldemort is my master. I owe him all that I have."

"Including Melanie?"

"Especially Melanie." Snape said, pitifully. He raised his hands and motioned around him. "All this…this is what matters, the here and now, what is tangible and real. The things I once fought for, the loyalty and duty, and honor…those are just words. Meaningless words that are soaked in blood and nothing else. Easily forgotten and unimportant when people are dying from blind hatred and secretive monsters such as I. You talk of returning, of righting wrongs like if all that would matter and it doesn't. Here I am a Prince, a ruler, with power and privilege and you know what? I like it, Andre. I like being the Prince. I love commanding life and death, and being the most feared man in the world."

"And at what price do you have all this?" Andre asked, tilting his head.

Snape lowered his. "One human soul, one life."

Andre's eyes dimmed, slightly. "Are you sure it's only yours at stake?"

There was no light but the pale cast of a lamp beside Melanie's bed. The room was filled with the aromas of potions and incest that were meant to ward off evil and ensure security. Melanie Reyes writhed and twisted in her bed, trapped by whatever nightmares were dancing in her head. She would start to scream, then find her voice captured as she began to claw at some beast that attempted to attack her. Then, at the height of this climax, Melanie would collapse on the bed again.

She heard music on the air and jolted up in bed, straining to hear it. "Severus? Sev, Sev…Severus?"

"Yes," Silas called as he crept into the room. "Yes, call for him. Call for your lover."

"Silas?" Instinctively, Melanie pulled the blankets closer to her frame, and narrowed her eyes. "What…what do you want?"

"I've come to take what is mine." He answered simply, as he crossed the room to the bed with all the prowess of a man whose revenge and anger had been too long held at bay.

He sprang unto the bed, causing Melanie to pull herself closer to the edge of the bed. Eyes widen by fear but darkened by the fire darted around the room, looking for a salvation that would never come. Her body was wracked and destroyed, and in her stomach she felt the mind-numbing fear of a hopeless situation. If she screamed Silas would only silence her, if she resisted he would kill her. She was alone.

"He'll kill you," She whispered, voice breaking and choking on terror that was welling up inside of her. "He'll come after you…"

This halted the dragon's advance. A low rumble began in his stomach, rising to his throat and finally bursting forward in long, rapturous laughter. It was loud, and broken, driven by blind rage and perceived invincibility. "I'm counting on it."

The creature tilted his head as he came over her body, pushing up skirt and diving pass her legs to tear her apart. Melanie closed her eyes, and forced herself not to scream. Screaming what accomplish nothing. Her hands found the edge of the bed, digging into the sheets. The dragon was dark, fierce and uninvited. She could feel him inside of her, destroying her. His mere presence, his breath on her skin seemed to incite the wounds from the battle and set them on fire again. Each burn and bruise rose to his touch, begging for his attention. Destruction and death became his very touch; she could feel her body succumbing to his touch- could feel her body writhing under him. It felt as if she was trapped within hell itself.

As if all her sins were remembered in this one moment…

He was Death, and hell followed with him. Melanie felt every victim she had murdered, tortured, or maimed in Voldemort's name rise up and laugh at her, mocking her with dumb voices and staring into her with blackened eyes. Her eyes danced around the room. 

She could see them! The victims, her victims; Silas had conjured them to punish her. She could hear their loud, chaotic laughter form a mantra- urging Silas to continue. The voices and eyes were pouring into her! Attacking her like Silas was doing!

Melanie began to grip at her throat, scrambling for air. No! She was being suffocated by their laughter! She tried to scream now, hoping Severus would hear her and make it all go away, but there was no relief, no end. She could still feel Silas' breath burning her…

And then cold…

His hands were cold and rough on her, resting under her ribs. Her hands fell to his, following them to her to her stomach.

And then, she felt _it_.

It was breathing inside of her! Silas had put something in her! Some creature! She knew it! Cradling the soft flesh, Melanie felt the ugly beginnings of life. Silas had created something, some monster that would destroy her from the inside out. The dragon had planted a seed within her, something that would grow to destroy her.

She felt bile and disgust rise up in her throat but made no attempt to quell it.

Silas jumped back as the woman threw up over herself. He laughed slightly, tucking a hair behind his ear. "Come now, I wasn't that bad was I?"

"What…what did you put in me?"

"It's a little late for a lecture about the birds and the bees, Mel."

"You put a monster in me!" She shouted as she started clawing at her stomach. She had to get it out! "You, and them! You've…you've…"

Silas looked at the woman before him and laughed. "Ah…" He mused, as he slid off the bed. He picked up his coat and slid it over his body, stepping over the prone body of Drucilla who he had to hex along with Babbitt to enter the room. He turned back, looking at the woman.

"What does he see in you? What hold do you, a creature of no use or purpose, have over the great Dark Prince? You were beautiful once, but now it's gone and still he fought for you. You betrayed him, left him and still he came back to you…He damned others and himself for you. He killed and was killed for you and all you repaid him with was coldness and distance. And still, he always there to save you from the nightmares, from the boogieman…tell me, milady…will he save you tonight?" The dragon asked, before stealing into the night.


	30. Hell's Fire

Author's Note: Let's see, the mild slash scene at the bottom is dedicated to my dear Beta who agrees with me that all the angst between Silas and Severus was just unresolved sexual tension. Also, Severus' words before the end of the chapter are a nod to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein which is a wonderfully brutal book everyone should read.

**Chapter Thirty: Hell's Fire**

"My Prince."

Severus turned, and stared into the darkness. It took him a moment to recognize the voice. He turned back, to where Jean Andre had disappeared into the shadows a moment before and upon seeing his shadow had disappeared safety, he answered. "What can I do for you, Lucius?"

Lucius walked towards him, and fell to his knees. "My Prince, forgive me…"

"For what, Luci?" He asked, lightly. Although his mind was at Akel Dama, Lucius' behavior was disturbing. He extended his hand to Lucius, to help him up. "What's the matter?"

"My lord…you've been betrayed." The Malfoy licked his lips. "By my brother Silas."

Time paused, reality hazed and Severus felt his heart stop beating in his chest. The Auror reacted first. "You're lying." He hissed, turning away and moving to the doors.

"My Prince, why would I speak against my brother?"

"To get his wife perhaps?" Snape countered, although his heart was beginning to harden from the years and hatred that had made him Prince. "To claim the Elysian Fields as your own. With Gideon gone, and Silas dead; you would be the only great dragon…"

"It's true, I betray my brother by coming to you in hopes of saving Narcissa's life." Lucius said, raising his voice to be heard. "Silas is at Akel Dama right now! He gave the information to St. Michael, about where the Death Eaters would be, and made sure the Aurors would attack. That's what your…spy" He made a motion to where Andre had disappeared to, "was trying to warn you about. He's going to meet with a contact from the Order of the Phoenix at dawn to confirm the success. He'll meet her outside of Knock Turn Alley."

Snape could feel dread and anger rising inside of him. "How do you know this?"

"Silas told me…"

"And you are telling me because…"

"Because he's mad, my Prince. He's going to kill Melanie, and try to kill you…and I know he'll fail. I just want Narcissa to be alright." Lucius bowed his head. "Do what you will to my brother, and nephew…but leave her."

"If what you say is true…" Snape began, his head was beginning to swim and his stomach was beginning to twist uncomfortably. "Take Narcissa, and go. I don't care where, but go…"

"Where are you going, milord?"

"Home."

Day of the Dead was the hottest club in the posh, urbane neighborhood. Brightly painted, and emblazed with gaudy trinkets- it both lured and repulsed its visitors. The skeletons that littered the walls were like the Death Masks, and made visitors peer into their endless depths in an attempt to see pass the abyss only to find the abyss staring into them. The artifacts were famous and unique in every right. An Iron Maiden stood guard over entrance, with a mock guillotine beside it. The hall that led towards the main dance floor and bar was covered with photos and objects that had been designed to ward away or kill witches and other bad spirits.

And right now, the chimes were jingling softly as the Dark Prince drew his hands them, giving his beloved time to run and hide.

But Silas would not hide, he knew that, and part of him relished in that idea. The Prince stepped into the main dance hall, staring at himself in the mirror and smiling under his mask.

"You know what I've come for…" The Prince whispered.

Silas' voice echoed from somewhere in the room. "You come for what I've craved for years…"

"Was it worth it?" Snape demanded. "Was it worth raping my wife to get your revenge! Was it worth dying for?"

"Surely you, an Auror, would know of dying for a cause…"

Snape pulled his wand, looking around, waiting for a movement that would betray Silas' position and give him a place to shoot at. Severus turned, watching the darkness and knowing the darkness was staring at him. "I trusted you, Silas…I trusted you and you betrayed me!"

"Haven't you learned by now, Severus! After all this time, haven't you learned! We are all traitors! Wars that are fought by heroes and villains died with your father, bleeding slowly to death while Hecate watched! Villains and monsters are nothing but men, like Voldemort- normal men with dirty blood and a thirst for death! They are no more great causes, no more crusades! There's nothing left to die for! Information and ideology are all that matter now! Power is perceived by what people will see and believe! Look at your Kingdom, Prince, you're nothing but a nightmare and all your fears are as fake and fleeting as your are! Trust, loyalty…they're nothing but dreams, Severus. Dreams that men like you hold on to long after they've turned to dust…you come here and talk of betrayal, look around you…I betrayed nothing. I am what I always was…"

Severus swung around, and watched Silas come into the light, towards him. On the Malfoy's lips was a small, contained smile that made the world- and Severus- fall in love with him. He walked towards him and leaned forward, kissing the mask gingerly. For a moment, the Prince faltered, and wrapped his arms around Silas, clinging on to dear life.

"And you beloved, are my creation…" Silas whispered, nuzzling Severus' neck. "You're just like me."

Severus pulled away just long enough to remove his mask, to look into Silas' eyes once more. Leaning forward, he kissed Silas softly and tenderly. "Did I ask to be created?" He whispered, as he stepped slowly away. "Did I ask to become Prince? You are right, beloved…you did create me but did you ever think for a moment the consequences of your creation?"

With that, the Dark Prince stepped aside, revealing the prone figure of an 11-year-old boy: Pyxis Malfoy, Silas' son.

If Silas fell to his knees in shock or grief, Severus would never know. If Silas cried out in terror or sorrow, it would not matter. Severus simply turned and walked out of the club, sealing the windows and doors with a hex, although he knew somewhere inside that Silas wouldn't have tried to escape knowing his son no longer walked the earth.

One curse set the club ablaze and it sparkled like hell fire.

Severus was certain he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.


	31. Beautiful Dreamer

**Chapter Thirty One/Epilogue: Beautiful Dreamer**

"What?" Alexander asked, moving one pawn forward and staring up at his commanding officer. "You're never afraid?"

Sydney Van Ness smiled softly, as he folded his hands and studied the board. "I'm afraid I'm going to lose for the first time since Kaiser played me…"

"You know what I mean…" Rouge snorted angrily.

Jude Remington laughter came from the desk in the corner. The Auror was leaning back with his feet on his desk and a hat over his eyes, and spoke is a gruff sleep-filled voice. "Is Red trying to be philosophical again?"

"Jude, don't move!" Billy shouted over the corner of his sketchbook. "I'm almost finished!"

"Well?" Alex looked over again at Sydney. "Was he ever afraid?"

"Kaiser?" Sydney asked, glancing up. The elder Auror turned to the window and stared out into the gardens with that distant look old soldiers always seemed to get from one time to another. "Yeah, he was scared. For you mostly."

"For me? Why?"

"He didn't want you to follow his footsteps and become an Auror. He was afraid that you'd grow up to find out things weren't like the stories he would read to you from. He wanted you to always believe in heroes." Sydney looked up. "He was terrified that there might be a day when all your dreams turned out to be just that…dreams. They were such beautiful dreams after all."

Since Akel Dama had been built centuries ago, it had housed almost as many secrets as it did humans. The legendary home of the powerful and wealthy Snape family, Akel Dama had stood as a tangible symbol of the Snape prestige. But so many secrets and dark truths seemed to cast a pallor over the home. Entering the grounds, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. The natural light seemed swallowed up by some invisible force and a dull, smoky gray light lighted the grounds instead. A short walk brought visitors to the main gates that lead into the heart of the entire estate, twin iron wrought gates painted flat black that loom over you. 

The gates have the family's crest emblazed unto them; a wolf posed to devour a serpent. The wolf's hind leg is injured from a snakebite. Written in Latin over the symbol, is a sinister promise: "No one assails me with impunity." 

As always, the bulk of the house was left unoccupied with only the left wing cornered off to allow the family privacy. The top floor consisted of the libraries and a master bedroom. In the Gray Library, a large room filled to the roof with ancient books of curses and counter charms. The room was supported by large columns, carved with intricate glyphs proclaiming even greater secrets if one understood the language. The right corner column pivoted to reveal a narrow, dangerous spiral staircase. 

There waited a man, not yet wise enough to fully understand every secret or every sorrow that this great house held. He was sitting on one of the steps, leaning back and staring up, towards the hidden annex, remembering the secret it had held. He pushed away a lock of his black hair pulling a bit of spider web away at the same time. 

"You summoned me?"

Severus Snape rose to his full height and crossed to Jean Andre, passing pictures of his ancestors as he did. "You would die for your cause, wouldn't you Rouge?"

Andre looked up, "If I knew that it could change anything, yes."

"How do you have faith in such dreams even after all you have seen?" 

"Because I have to believe that there's still something in this world worth dying for, my Prince, or why the hell are we fighting?"

The Dark Prince seemed to consider this. He inhaled and turned away, walking to a desk and sitting down. Picking up a pen, he began to write something on a scratch of paper. "Do you know where you are at, Kaga?"

Andre looked around. "Gray Library. According to rumors, the Snape family kept its darkest secrets hidden within this room."

"Hmm…" Snape mused, as he continued writing. "I use it as my personal office from time to time, as well. I'm always leaving papers laying around in here…misplacing them." He snorted. "This house is too damn big to keep track of little things." He stood, and turned to look at Andre. "I trust you'll see your way out."

Andre stared at Snape as he disappeared from the library to attend to whatever business occupied a Prince's time. He crossed to the desk out of curiosity and began to leaf through the papers, before resting his eyes on what Snape had just written.

And a slow smile began to creep across his features…

Severus Snape tugged on his robes, and stared at the big house. This place was really too big for it's own good at times. It had too many secrets, too much darkness. He listened to the sound of his footsteps on the wood and thought about Babbitt, wondering if he should get her a pet to keep her company while he was away. His work caused him to be away too much in recent months and he could only sense that it would continue to do that.

Things were becoming more complicated now…and he wasn't quite sure how he was going to pull it all off but he knew he had to try.

That's what heroes did after all, wasn't it?

He passed a certain bedroom of blue and silver, where a portrait of a young man hung over the bed like a shrine. The picture was a boy who was tall, handsome and tanned by the sun with wide shoulders and strong arms.

Severus paused to regard the picture for a long time, half wondering about things unspoken. If he prayed or asked for guidance from this specter, none came from the quiet Muggle painting.

So, he did all he could do in that situation. He closed the doors and continued on his own way.


End file.
